CELEBRATIONS of life are normally reserved to mark someone’s achievements after they have died.

But one Southampton family has held such a party, with a difference - the main subject was actually there himself.

Dozens attended a lively barbecue in Blenheim Avenue to pay tribute to beloved great-grandfather Geoff Mullon.

However, unlike most funerals the man they had come to pay their respects to was surrounded by partygoers cracking jokes.

The 68-year-old, who has terminal cancer and only weeks to live, decided to have his funeral party while he is still alive as he is donating his body to the Centre for Learning Anatomical Sciences at Southampton university.

Geoff said: “I wanted it to be a happy occasion full of laughter because that’s what life is all about.

“I have been to funerals and they don’t feel like a celebration so I thought this would be better.

“If we just got rid of greed, and people showed respect and tolerance for each other it would be a happier world.”

The father-of-two said that he wanted to give his friends and family a chance to say goodbye and have a proper send off.

“I have no regrets, my ticket is booked for next week, he said.

“I’m going first class.”

The former deep sea diver worked all over the world for various companies.

But he said he had always made time to spend time with his children when he got home.

“It’s important to talk to your children,” he said.

“So I always made sure to sit down with them even if I only had an hour in a day to do so.”

One of 14 children, Geoff, the son of a scrap metal merchant, grew up in a two-up two-down in St Denys.

Paula Mullon, Geoff’s daughter, said: “It has been a really happy occasion, which is just what dad wanted.

“He will be missed by so many people, we just hope he goes peacefully,” she added.

His granddaughter Cody Mullon added: “My grandfather is an amazing man who helped raise me and has always been there for me.

“It’s nice to see so many people here and that we get to see him off.”

The Human Tissue Authority licenses and inspects organisations which collect or receive bodies or other human materials.

It said body donations are a “valuable gift”, with donations becoming an important resource for training healthcare professionals or for research. A donated body can be used for a number of purposes, which may include anatomical examination or education and training.