A Puerto Rican man who was repeatedly shot and killed earlier this month has been laid to rest 'just as he was in life' in an extremely unconventional funeral.

Fernando de Jesus Diaz Beato, 26, was shot 15 times in the Villa Carolina neighborhood of San Juan on March 3, with police saying they have no leads on the crime.

Describing him as a 'happy and very active person', the family decided against a coffin for the funeral service in favor of a chair, sitting Diaz Beato with his legs crossed, dressed in his favorite clothes and with a cigarette between his fingers.

Finally, as a 'surprise', the funeral home chose to leave his eyes open.

The body of San Juan was seated with his eyes open, and clothed in sports gear while holding a cigarette

The funeral home admitted they 'surprised' the family by keeping Diaz Beato's eyes open for the service, while dressing him in his favourite clothes, finished with the hat and glasses that were his signature

Designed to look like he was sitting in a living room, Diaz Beato's legged were crossed and a cigarette was placed between his fingers

'We didn't want to see him lying in the coffin,' sister Ihizz Diaz Beato said at the funeral (pictured)

'Everybody is really surprised because seeing him like that is like seeing him as if he were alive,' one of Diaz Beato's sisters said in a video obtained by Live Leak.

Another sister, Ihizz Diaz Beato, said: 'We decided to embalm him like this because he was a very happy person, very active and we want to remember him as he was.'

The final effect was if Diaz Beato was sitting and staring at the family and friends who gathered at the funeral.

Marin Funeral Home, in Rio Piedras, has become something of a pioneer of such services in San Juan.

This is the ninth unconventional funeral they have done - but the first where the eyes of the deceased have been left open.

'I think that this time was the most impressive reaction to any of the work we have done,' said Damaris Marin (right) the owner of Marin Funeral Home

The effect was if Diaz Beato was sitting and staring at the family and friends who gathered at the funeral

Damaris Marin, the owner of Marin Funeral Home, said they worked closely with the family to achieve the desired effect.

'This time is different because he is seated with his legs crossed but, this is the first dead man in history with his eyes open,' she said.

'We have seen that the families wish to see the dead men just as they were when they were alive.

'We gave [the family] a surprise by leaving the eyes of the dead man open.

'I think that this time was the most impressive reaction to any of the work we have done.'

The deceased loved to sit in the dining room of his house on a wooden chair and smoke, his family said

The murder of Diaz Beato outside of his San Juan home last week remains under investigation

While the result shocked the family, they said they were happy with how Diaz Beato looked.

'We didn't want to see him lying in the coffin,' sister Ihizz Diaz Beato said.

'We wanted something different. And also, we wanted him to be remembered by his friends and family the same way he was when he was alive.'