Have Ashes, Will Travel
Humor can help people get through tough times. That’s why some people make dark jokes during funeral services or other somber events. It all depends on context, though, and sometimes these jokes don’t go over well. This storyteller’s mom and aunt don’t get along, and the death of the storyteller’s father didn’t help matters.
During the memorial service, the aunt’s husband (mom’s brother-in-law) was carrying the father’s ashes. He decided to break the icy tension by making a joke. This poor man joked that the deceased was now “travel-sized,” and the OP’s mom was immediately offended. We know this guy meant well, so we won’t blame him. In all honesty, the joke was kind of cute and may have gone over differently if he had said it to someone else he was closer to within the family.