Geelong family distraught after Chris Stefano danced on chairs and laughed at 35-year-old’s funeral

He danced beside the coffin, shouted and tried to take the microphone, leaving a grieving family who just wanted to celebrate a young man’s life devastated.

Leanne Giuffre and daughter Rhiannon Priddle are heartbroken after wild scenes at their son and brother Ryan Bishop's funeral. Picture: Brad Fleet

A man who stood up in the middle of a funeral and yelled, swore, tried to take the microphone and danced on chairs has left a grieving family devastated after the shocking display.

The service, last month, was to farewell Ryan Bishop, 35, who grew up in Lara and died on May 15 due to health complications.

His sister Rhiannon Priddle said he was bubbly, loving and wore his heart on his sleeve.

But she said his funeral was ruined by the actions of Geelong man Chris Stefano.

Mr Stefano is a singer-songwriter who has spoken publicly about his experience with bipolar disorder and his advocacy work for mental health and wellbeing. His most recent single, which is on Spotify, is titled Boundaries.

“I am still angry and my mum is still devastated,” Ms Priddle said.

Chris Stefano has spoken in the past of his mental health battles and his work to help others.

Ms Priddle said from the first song Mr Stefano moved up the front and started dancing near Mr Bishop’s coffin.

She said he laughed and yelled inappropriately throughout speeches and picture tributes.

“I did a tribute speech and was talking about fun memories with my brother but Chris was inappropriately laughing and then he started arguing with me,” she said.

“The song I chose was a Britney Spears song and Chris got up and started dancing on the chairs, he tried to get family members up to dance on the stage and he went to grab the microphone.

“His legs were up on the back of someone else’s chair like he was at the movies or in the loungeroom.”

Ms Priddle said the funeral directors had to escort him from the service and he yelled “I don’t give a f--- what any of you think, I am Chris Stefano”.

“I have never experienced so much disrespect,” she said.

Ms Priddle said she did not know Mr Stefano and found out later he had apparently met her brother more than 10 years ago online and they had only met a handful of times.

“We tried to make the funeral a celebration of his life, but it’s not a party or a concert,” she said.

“We are never going to get that day back, and he took it away from us when we wanted to make it as special as we could.”

Leanne Giuffre and daughter Rhiannon Priddle are devastated their son and brother Ryan Bishop's funeral was ruined. Picture: Brad Fleet

Mr Bishop’s mum Leanne Giuffre said he had type one diabetes and peripheral neuropathy.

“Ryan went missing on May 15, he hadn’t come home and the police found him five days later deceased,” she said.

“Ryan was my son, he was my baby, he was very special to me.”

Ms Giuffre said she had never organised a funeral before and arranged the service in Barrabool Hills.

“I thought I am going to have the biggest and best place for him and it didn’t worry me if it was packed or only a handful of people were there, it was going to be a celebration of my son’s life,” she said.

“We had a beautiful service arranged for him, then this person turned up and wanted to make it all about them instead of my son.

“The day is a blur.

“I can never get that day back, I am still grieving and I don’t think that will pass soon,” she said.

The Geelong Advertiser attempted to contact Mr Stefano for comment.

Originally published as Geelong family distraught after Chris Stefano danced on chairs and laughed at 35-year-old’s funeral