It is difficult to see a world without David Lynch as anything other than grey. But if there is one positive thing to come from his passing, it is that fans are compelled to gather and celebrate an Art Life well lived. I recently attended a fan-created memorial honoring David at a funeral home in my hometown of Sacramento, California. The evening was a heartfelt tribute to an artist loved by so many.
On March 1, 2025, a fan memorial was held at Harry A. Nauman & Son Funeral Home in Sacramento, California. The event was arranged and hosted by Skye Bergen and Maria Quintero-Lenihan, co-owners of a local botanical and oddity shop called Succulent Sirens.
SUCCULENT SIRENS IN SACRAMENTO, CA
Skye and Maria, who have been friends for 20 years, first started doing business together as vendors selling succulents, artwork, and handmade jewelry at pop-up events in the Sacramento region. The perfect shop space fell into their laps in 2023 and Succulent Sirens made the leap to brick and mortar, expanding to add vintage pieces and oddities to their offerings.
The duo, who are both longtime fans of David Lynch, announced plans for a fan memorial in a post from Succulent Sirens’ social media pages on February 5, 2025.
DAVID LYNCH FAN MEMORIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
The announcement read, “Maria and I were devastated to learn that David Lynch had shuffled off this mortal coil a few weeks ago – he was so influential in both of our lives. Since we will not be able to attend the official funeral we have decided to host a free, local, public memorial for all who are fans of his and are saddened by his passing. Let us celebrate him together by eating pie, drinking coffee (decaf will also be available), and watching Fire Walk With Me. Costumes are highly encouraged! Fancy dress also encouraged but not required. Tell all of your friends. Get weird with it. Musical ambience before and after the film will be provided by Johnathan Reveles. This event is free.”
The post also included a phone number to RSVP, as an estimated headcount would determine how many pies were needed.
The ladies then signed off with Gordon Cole’s famous line, “fix [your] hearts or die.”
This powerful quote, which has been embraced by the LGBTQ+ community, would also be printed on prayer cards that were handed out to attendees at the event.
When I saw the post, I reached out to Skye and Maria and offered to bring a display of original Twin Peaks props so that fellow fans could enjoy some artifacts from one of David Lynch’s most enduring works. I was so excited that other people in my hometown cared enough to put something like this together, and we were all determined to make it special.
ARRIVING AT HARRY A. NAUMAN & SON FUNERAL HOME
When Bookhouse Gal Christin Carlano and I arrived at Harry A. Nauman & Son Funeral Home on March 1, we were greeted by manager and funeral director Nicole Kott dressed as Lil the Dancer! It suddenly became clear why this beautiful space was made available for an event like this – the staff are also huge David Lynch fans.
Funeral arranger Harlow Martin arrived a short while later dressed as Special Agent Dale Cooper, and I knew we were in good company.
FANS GATHER AT THE MEMORIAL EVENT
At the front of the chapel, floral arrangements assembled by Succulent Sirens were displayed alongside fan art and photos of David Lynch. One fan expressed to me that seeing these displays brought a tear to his eye, as David’s passing suddenly felt real.
DJ Johnathan Reveles played songs from each era of David Lynch’s discography as attendees filed in and mingled. I was happy to hear selections from “Cellophane Memories,” Lynch’s 2024 collaboration with Chrystabell which turned out to be his final album.
Throughout the event, Anndrija Long projected artwork and rare photos on a screen in the funeral home’s foyer.
No David Lynch tribute would be complete without cherry pie and black coffee. Only one pie was left intact by the time I made it to the refreshment table.
Though this event had some traditional aspects of a memorial, it was also a celebration of an artist who helped many to embrace life’s absurdity. Several attendees dressed as characters from David Lynch’s filmography. Costumes included Dorothy Vallens, the Log Lady, Dr. Jacoby, Sailor Ripley, Audrey Horne, Double R waitresses, and more.
Two fans dressed as Dr. Jacoby and Gordon Cole stopped by the prop table and posed with Nadine Hurley’s screen-used rowing machine, as seen in the Lynch-directed episode 1.002. The gentleman dressed as Gordon Cole leaned in to ask me if the tone of the event was meant to be somber or fun, as each pew in the chapel was stocked with tissue boxes. I told him that much like Twin Peaks, it would probably be a little of each.
Moments later, a mother arrived with her 12-year-old son. I half-jokingly asked if he had also watched Twin Peaks. Imagine my surprise when she responded that he was the bigger fan and the reason they came to the event! He was a bit shy at first, but when Christin asked about his favorite characters, he emphatically told us that Dale Cooper and Gordon Cole were at the top of his list. The two stayed through the memorial segment but left when the screening of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me started (probably wise).
REMEMBERING DAVID LYNCH
After an hour of socializing, the ladies of Succulent Sirens greeted the crowd and shared some remarks about what David Lynch meant to them.
“Mr. Lynch inspired a young me with his fearless approach to sharing his weird dreams and thoughts openly,” Skye said. “In a way, it gave me permission to let my absurd ideas out into the world.”
Maria then stepped up to the microphone, saying “I just wanted to say thank you. This is a great showing of community, oneness, and weirdness. Make sure you keep telling the bastards to fix their hearts or die.”
When my turn at the podium came, I shared my story of discovering David Lynch’s films in college and how that eventually led me to the Twin Peaks fan community, and how many of the brightest parts of my life can be traced back to simply watching a movie.
Prop master Jeff Moore, who I had spent time with a week prior at The Real Twin Peaks event in Washington, generously sent in a message to share with attendees which I played from my phone.
“David was a special director. David was a special person. David was a creative,” Jeff said, describing how Lynch stood out among the many filmmakers he encountered during his time in the industry. He closed with a plea for fans. “Keep watching his stuff, keep reading his stuff, and keep listening to him talk. You’ll always get something out of each one of those.”
TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME
Finally, the lights in the chapel were dimmed and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me was projected onto a large screen at the front of the room.
Though I’ve seen this film countless times, this one felt special. Sitting in the back of the room, I started thinking about how Sacramento has no specific connection to David Lynch. Twin Peaks was not filmed here. There was no celebrity involvement, and there were no vendors selling themed merchandise. This was community in its purest form. Nearly 100 people said goodbye to an artist who impacted each of us individually, which ultimately turned us into a group. There was applause as the credits rolled, and that was the sound of gratitude.
