Where Are Their Ashes Now?
Celebrities have a flair for drama and in the case of Hunter S. Thompson, this continued after death. He made headlines around the world when his ashes were shot out of a cannon! The Cremation Association of North America states that 695,637 people were cremated in the United States in 2003. Although most will be scattered or safeguarded by more traditional means, it is still an economical and environmentally sound way to go. Many famous celebrities and people of notoriety have been cremated over the years. Let's take a look at a few of the more interesting individuals that chose cremation.
Dezi Arnaz - Actor, Musician and Lucy's husband of the "I Love Lucy" fame.
Marlon Brando - The actor famous for playing "The Godfather" was cremated at a secret ceremony in Los Angeles.
Lloyd Bridges - The hilarious star of "Airplane" had his ashes given to his family.
Greta Garbo - Garbo, from Hollywood's "Golden Age" had her ashes returned to her native Sweden for burial near family.
Alfred Hitchcock - He was cremated without a public funeral and his ashes were scattered.
Rock Hudson - Hudson's ashes were scattered at sea.
Jill Ireland - Charles Bronson's late wife had her ashes made into a walking stick for him.
Janis Joplin - Joplin's ashes were scattered over the Pacific Ocean.
Jerry Garcia - The Grateful Dead frontman had his ashes scattered at sea.
John F. Kennedy Jr. - After his plane crash, the famous president's son's ashes were scattered over the sea.
Vivian Leigh- The "Gone With the Wind" actress was cremated in the UK and had her ashes scattered on a mill pond at her home in Sussex.
Henry Mancini - The famous composer of The Pink Panther Music was cremated at Forest Lawn Glendale.
Groucho Marx - He once said, "I would never be caught dead in Burbank." However, that's just what happened when his urn was stolen and his ashes taken to Burbank for a time. They were eventually returned to his home at San Fernando, California's Eden Memorial Park.
Robert Mitchum - Mitchum's ashes were scattered at sea by family and friends.
Steve McQueen - Actor and star of "The Magnificent Seven" had his ashes scattered over the Pacific Ocean.
Christopher Reeve - Superman's ashes were scattered to the wind by his family.
Gene Roddenberry - The Star Trek creator's ashes were blasted off into space.
Last Updated: 03/20/2006
Sources:
Purified by Fire: A History of Cremation in America
Cremation Association of North America Statistics - http://www.cremationassociation.org/html/statistics.html
Hollywood USA - http://www.hollywoodusa.co.uk/celebrity-graves.htm
Morbid Curiosity - http://www.morbid-curiosity.com/id170.htm
Lloyd Bridges Biography - http://www.nndb.com/people/374/000026296/
