I was part of a similar farewell a few years ago. I never knew the man, but when it came time to fire the cannon, it had a hang fire. When it finally went off, the woman who was firing the cannon he was in was so surprised she had to change her clothes. What's more, the wind had shifted, and another fellow ended up getting a faceful! Apparently, this all was just like the deceased, and the widow thought it couldn't have happened more appropriately.
Personally, I'd love to be shot out of my cannon when the time comes.