We were deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Kris Hallenger, founder of CoppaFeel! and brand ambassador of The Farewell Guide this past Monday, 6th May 2024.
Rebecca Peach, CEO & Founder of The Farewell Guide, writes:
'Kris truly is remarkable she has left an indelible mark on my life and the lives of so many others.
From the first moment I met Kris, I was in awe of her. She exuded a quiet strength, determination, beauty and courage that was both inspiring and humbling. Her presence was a beacon of light, illuminating a path of resilience for everyone around her.
Kris had a unique way of embracing life with glittering enthusiasm and an infectious love of life, reminding us all to cherish every moment. Her unwavering commitment to spreading positivity and helping others @coppafeel was a testament to her incredible spirit.
I feel immensely fortunate to have known Kris. She not only believed in me but also supported my mission to launch The Farewell Guide, for which I will be forever grateful. We talked mainly about death and funerals conjuring up ways to make these things better, but she would always say how much she looked forward to another meet up when we didn’t need talk about those things!
A friend emailed me this and I think it says it all:
“In life, some people are meant for more – in a way that isn’t determined in years lived, but the life that’s lived beyond the years.”
Kris embodied this sentiment perfectly. Her impact transcends time and space, leaving behind a legacy of love, fun, compassion, and inspiration.
She is the only one who truly could put the FUN in funeral.'
Kris was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer at the age of 23 in 2009. Since living with cancer for over 14 years, she founded the breast cancer awareness charity CoppaFeel! and has been an advocate for people to come to terms with mortality.
Since joinning The Farewell Guide, Kris was an advocate of pre-funeral planning. After attending a friend’s funeral in January 2023 who sadly passed from cancer, Kris realised that there was one key thing missing during the celebration of her life - that being, the friend herself. Kris was inspired to take her mortality into her own hands, and plan a living “FUNeral” as she says - a celebration of her life that she can witness, enjoy and share with her loved ones.
Kris Hallenga said, “There is nothing out there like The Farewell Guide. I totally believe in its mission to make funerals more personal and of course affordable. In my case, I am currently planning my living funeral, or FUN-eral, and I hope that this could be inspirational for people looking to celebrate their life exactly the way they lived it. More people planning and noting down their funerals to pass on their wishes will alleviate so much stress and financial burden. The Farewell Guide allows for easy planning, comparison and sharing and for free!”
Working with The Farewell Guide, Kris planned for the celebration of her life to be jam packed with live music, laughter and dancing.
Rest well, lovely Kris. We will miss you immensely.
Lots of love and thoughts are with Kris' family.
Rebecca & Team 💜
The Farewell Guide
(Formerly Legacy of Lives)