‘See ya later, suckas:' 5-year-old cancer patient gets final wish with upbeat funeral

He asked for bouncy houses, Batman and an 'Asgardian burial ceremony'

VAN METER, Iowa – Five-year-old cancer patient Garrett Matthias, whose irreverent self-authored obituary garnered national attention, requested bouncy houses, Batman and an "Asgardian burial ceremony" when the time came for his funeral. On Saturday, his parents made it happen.

"He wanted people to come together and celebrate because he did not like funerals," Garrett’s father, Ryan Matthias, told local TV station KCCI. "He’s been to a few of them. Everybody was very somber and sad, and he was like, 'No, my funeral is going to be a happy time.'"

His parents held the ceremony at their home in rural Iowa, complete with five tiny inflatable homes, the caped crusader (Thor and Spiderman were also in attendance) and a snow cone machine.

"I really think it's for all of us — these are Garrett's specific requests," Garrett’s mother, Emilie Matthias, told the Des Moines Register. "You know, I really don't want to stand in a church or a funeral home for hours on end, shaking people's hands and hugging people and having people say they're sorry. This seems to be a much better way to go. We're here to have a good time and to celebrate his life."

In his obituary, the superhero-loving Garrett wrote that he wanted to cremated. 

"I want to be burned (like when Thor’s Mommy died) and made into a tree so I can live in it when I’m a gorilla," he wrote.

On Saturday, friends and family recreated the Asgardian burial ceremony from one of Garrett's favorite movies, "Thor: The Dark World." With torches lighting the way, they placed a small boat in a nearby lake and set it ablaze with a fiery arrow.

Garrett died on July 6 after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in September. Before he died, his parents collected his thoughts in an untraditional obituary that became a viral sensation. 

He ended the piece with "See ya later, suckas!"

"Garrett endured nine months of hell before he lost his battle with cancer. During that time he never lost his sense of humor and loved to tease the doctors and nurses. From whoopy cushions and sneaking clothes pins on their clothes to ‘hazing’ the interns and new staff doctors, he was forever a prankster," his parents wrote in his obituary.