It’s not every day you see a funeral in an actual cemetery for a fictional character, but fans of Breaking Bad in Albuquerque, the setting and shooting location for the show, did just that yesterday, paying respect to the show's lead character, Walter White. However, some saw it in bad taste.

Aside from laying Walter White to rest, the funeral was a charitable event, raising over $17,000 for the Albuquerque Healthcare for the Homeless Organization in the name of a show that helped bring attention to the New Mexico city. According to fan Susan Tyr-Connail,

“It brought people into Albuquerque, it brought attention into Albuquerque, and it brought money into Albuquerque,”

A funeral procession led by a black hearse and an RV like Walter's from the show led mourners to an actual Albuquerque cemetery where a funeral was held complete with grave site and headstone. While fans saw this as paying respect to a beloved TV character, others saw this to be in bad taste, especially those with loved ones at the cemetery. Manuel Montano, whose son is buried 15 yards away from Walter White's "grave" feels the grave, funeral, and overall attention is disrespectful,

“This is a place of mourning. It’s not a spectacle.”

Other families have also started a petition to have the grave removed from the cemetery so that it does not become a tourist attraction.

Organizers had intended to stream the funeral on Youtube to increase exposure and potential donations, but were blocked by copyright laws.  This is not the first tribute paid to Walter White in Albuquerque since Breaking Bad had its finale.  Shortly after the airing of the episode, an actual obituary for White, paid for by fans, was printed in the Albuquerque Journal.

via KOB-TV

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