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Linda (right) said she enjoyed dancing the night away with her friends
3 hours ago
A woman with terminal cancer has decided to throw a party instead of a funeral and says she’s had “the best night” of her life.
Linda Williams, 76, from High Wycombe, northwest London, said she “hates funerals” and wanted to “dance the night away” with her friends.
After being diagnosed with terminal cancer a year ago, she began hosting the party.
“I had a lot of fun,” said the former tai chi teacher.
“I’ve never been to a good funeral, they always suck, so I decided I wanted the celebration of my life. I almost died two weeks ago, so I had a cardboard totem made in my honor just in case, but I have to be there with all my friends.”
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“If I miss my party, it’s because I’m on a secret mission in an unknown location”: Linda had a cardboard totem made for her party in case she died first
Williams has always loved the British singleengine fighter jet known as the Spitfire her parents were in the Royal Air Force and she grew up near the base at Walters Ash, where she would watch planes fly overhead.
When she was diagnosed with cancer, she started writing a wish list and the number was a flight in a Spitfire.
It was “absolutely insane and amazing and more than I could ever have wished for,” she said of the wish that was granted. During the flight, his son followed him in a fighter jet.
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Linda and her friends before the flight
The second wish was a 1940s themed party scheduled for October.
The event included six shows, a prize draw, a Union Jack cake a British classic made with sponge cake, fresh cream, fresh berries and a buttercream filling and Spam sandwiches, another traditional British dish.
“I chose the Battle of Britain theme for my party, which seemed perfect because the 1940s was about unity, humility and sacrifice to preserve freedom,” she said.
She dressed up as a fighter pilot and carried a parachute on her back as if she had just jumped out of a plane.
The 124 guests had to use a code word puzzle to enter the party.
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Linda says she loves the sound of the Spitfire’s engine
However, Williams barely appeared at the big event after his condition deteriorated.
“I almost died just before that, but I was like, ‘I’m going to flip it to get there.’ I decided I would give it a try and everyone had a great time,” she said.
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Linda had to sleep for two days after her party because she was expending too much energy on the dance floor.
“I was so excited that I got there at 6pm, but the party didn’t start until 7:30am. My legs were swollen but I still managed to dance the night away and received lots of loving hugs.”
“I didn’t leave until 1 a.m., I was full of adrenaline and I slept almost two days later.”
Linda said she was very grateful to her friends for organizing the party. She met many of them at a dance class she began attending at the age of 69.
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Linda (left) said she wanted to thank her friends for helping organize the party, including Jo (right).
One of them, Jo Oxlade, said it was fantastic to be involved in planning such a unique celebration.
“Linda made it clear to us from the start that this party would go on whether she was here or not. She said, ‘When I’m there at night I want this song, but when I die I want another song.’ so we had it very clear.”
“She is an amazing and inspiring person who we are fortunate to be friends with.”
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Linda and her friends share a big fish for the 1940s
A few months ago, Williams decided she was “hospitalized” and made the decision to be cared for at home by nurses from charity Rennie Groves Hospice Care.
Linda says it was thanks to her “wonderful” nurses that she had enough time to attend the party.
“You saved my life on this occasion, which meant I could attend my own party to celebrate friendship, camaraderie and the joy of dancing,” he added.
Fiona O’Neill, one of the nurses, said: “Lin is a fighter, she made sure she survived and made it to her party. She always sees the bright side of life and it is a real pleasure to take care of her.”