Village People Members Honor Co-Founder Victor Willis in Full Costume at His Funeral

Victor Willis‘ Village People bandmates sent him off in style.

According to a report TMZ published on Tuesday, July 21, about 50 mourners — including the group in full costume — gathered at Greenwood Memorial Park and Mortuary in San Diego, California, to honor Willis, who died last month at age 74 after what was described as a “short but aggressive illness.”

The Village People became a disco sensation known for costumed personas and anthemic hits including “In The Navy” and “Macho Man.” Rather than traditional funeral attire, five members of the iconic group arrived dressed as their signature characters. Photos obtained by the outlet showed construction worker James Kwong, cowboy Nicholas Manelick, Native American Javier Perez, G.I. James Lee and leather man J.J. Lippold seated together in the front row as Willis was laid to rest.

Willis, who portrayed the group’s police officer, was one of the original members of Village People when the disco act formed in 1977. He appeared in several iterations of the group over the years before rejoining in 2017, performing regularly with the band throughout the following decade, per the report.

His final years with the group included a high-profile and controversial appearance at a pre-inauguration event for President Donald Trump in 2025, where Village People performed their signature hit “Y.M.C.A.”

Following Willis’ death, Trump, 80, honored the singer with a heartfelt tribute on social media calling him “a great and happy guy.”

“We will think of Victor every time YMCA is played,” the president wrote. “Victor and the group was there for us right from the beginning! They loved the action, and we loved them and their great and uplifting song.”

Willis’ final farewell reflected the larger-than-life legacy he helped create.