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Just as life begins with birth, it inevitably ends with death, and when that time arrives, arrangements must be made for our remains. Most individuals are content with traditional options like burial in a cemetery or having their ashes displayed in a cherished spot at home.
However, some individuals desire a more extraordinary farewell for their physical remains. These unique wishes lead to fascinating tales, such as the ones listed below. Discover ten remarkably specific and unusual requests people have made for their bodies after passing.
10. Sent to the Stars
You might assume that the vast emptiness of space wouldn’t be a desirable final destination for anyone, but you’d be mistaken. Take Gordon Cooper, for instance, an Air Force pilot and astronaut with over 7,000 hours of flight experience. After playing a pivotal role in humanity’s journey to the stars through Project Mercury, the United States' first manned space program, it seems fitting that a portion of his ashes were launched into the cosmos. However, achieving this after his passing in 2004 was no simple task.
In 2007, a portion of his ashes, along with others, were sent on a suborbital flight. The capsule returned to Earth as planned, but adverse weather delayed its recovery for several weeks. Another attempt in 2008 ended in failure when the rocket malfunctioned just two minutes after launch. Finally, in May 2012, more of his ashes were successfully sent into space, where they orbited for a month before disintegrating upon reentry into Earth’s atmosphere.
Cooper isn’t the only one whose remains have journeyed among the stars. James Doohan, famously known as Scotty from Star Trek, shared the 2007 flight with the pioneering astronaut, as did Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry.
9. Taken Into Battle
Robert the Bruce, who reigned as the king of the Scots from 1306 to 1329, led his nation to triumph in the First War of Scottish Independence. As he lay on his deathbed, the heroic king expressed a single regret: his inability to join a crusade to the Holy Land. Realizing he could never fulfill this dream, he requested his loyal friend, Sir James Douglas, to carry his heart there in his stead. Douglas honored this wish, embarking on the journey with the king’s heart encased in a silver casket.
Ultimately, the heart of Robert the Bruce never reached the Holy Land. During the Battle of Teba, deserted by his allies, Douglas hurled the heart into the fray, declaring, “Lead the way, as you always have.” Douglas perished in the battle, and the king’s heart was eventually returned to Scotland, where it was laid to rest in Melrose Abbey.
8. Spread Across a Park (After Being Taken)
How far would you go to honor a friend’s final wishes? This question, which sounds like a movie premise, became a reality for Paul Kaufman and Michael Martin in 1973 after the death of their friend and colleague, Gram Parsons. The 26-year-old singer tragically overdosed on morphine during a visit to Joshua Tree National Park. Earlier that year, at a funeral they attended together, Parsons had expressed his desire to be cremated and have his ashes scattered at Joshua Tree. However, complications arose when his body was scheduled to be flown to New Orleans for a formal funeral.
Determined to honor their friend’s final request, Kaufman and Martin posed as funeral home employees and stole the body from Los Angeles International Airport. They transported the casket to Joshua Tree, doused it with 19 liters (5 gallons) of gasoline, and set it ablaze. The duo was eventually apprehended, fined $300, and ordered to pay $708 to cover the expenses of the funeral in New Orleans.
7. Blended Into Ink
Comic book characters frequently die and return to life, making death seem almost trivial within the genre. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for their creators, who have only one life to live. This was the reality for Mark Gruenwald, a renowned comic book writer celebrated for his work on series like Captain America and Squadron Supreme.
In 1996, Gruenwald passed away due to a heart attack caused by an undiagnosed congenital heart condition. Before his death, he had expressed his desire for his ashes to be incorporated into a comic book. True to his wishes, his ashes were mixed into the ink used for the first printing of the trade paperback edition of Squadron Supreme.
6. To Fade Into Oblivion
While many hope to be remembered after death, some prefer their legacy to vanish into obscurity. Donatien Alphonse Francois de Sade, famously known as the Marquis de Sade, belonged to the latter group. In his will, the writer whose name gave rise to the term “sadism” explicitly prohibited any posthumous dissection of his body and demanded it remain undisturbed for 48 hours in the room where he passed. Following this, he requested to be placed in a coffin and buried on his estate.
Unfortunately, as this entry demonstrates, de Sade’s final wishes were disregarded. After his death in 1814, he was interred at Charenton Asylum, where he had been imprisoned. His skull was later removed for a phrenological examination and subsequently lost. To this day, the world has not forgotten the Marquis de Sade.
5. Stored in a Pringles Can
As several entries on this list demonstrate, one’s profession can significantly influence their final wishes for their remains. Fredric Baur, an organic chemist, is best known for inventing the iconic cylindrical containers used for Pringles chips. When he passed away in 2008, his children honored his request by placing a portion of his ashes into one of the cans he designed. The can was buried alongside an urn containing the rest of his ashes.
4. To Undergo an Autopsy
At times, an individual may become so troubled that they believe death is the only solution to their suffering. Before his infamous rampage at the University of Texas, Charles Whitman had documented his growing irrationality, even confessing in his suicide letter, “I do not really understand myself these days.” This turmoil culminated on August 1, 1966, when, after murdering his wife and mother, Whitman ascended the Main Building Tower at the University of Texas at Austin and began shooting. He killed 14 people and wounded 31 others before being fatally shot by police.
In his suicide note, Whitman asked for an autopsy to determine if a biological factor contributed to his erratic behavior. During the procedure, doctors discovered a pecan-sized tumor in his brain. The Connally Commission, tasked with reviewing the autopsy results, concluded that while they couldn’t definitively link the tumor to his actions, it likely impaired his self-control. Whitman was later cremated.
3. Launched From a Cannon
Few of us will ever come close to matching the extraordinary life of Hunter S. Thompson. During his time on Earth, he rode with the Hells Angels and pioneered Gonzo journalism, among countless other exploits. It would require another list to detail all the wild and unforgettable moments from his life. Tragically, he ended his own life in 2005 at the age of 67, leaving behind a suicide note expressing that he felt he had outlived his desired time.
However, a man like Thompson was never destined for a conventional burial or a place on a mantelpiece. He had grander plans. At a private ceremony, his ashes were shot from a custom-designed cannon. Additionally, his remains were incorporated into the fireworks that illuminated the sky during the event.
2. Interred Beneath a Car
Few things captivate people more than their cars, and for one woman, this passion extended even beyond death. Sandra West, the widow of a wealthy oil tycoon and a prominent socialite in Beverly Hills, requested in her will to be buried in her nightgown, seated behind the wheel of her beloved Ferrari.
Following her death from a drug overdose in 1977, her Ferrari was placed inside a cement box and lowered into her grave. Concrete was then poured over the box to safeguard it from potential vandals.
1. Featured as a Prop in a Play
Some individuals wish for their remains to serve a greater purpose after they pass away. For many, this might simply involve checking the organ donor box on their driver’s license. However, for those seeking to make a more profound contribution, donating their body for medical research is an option. Polish pianist and composer Andre Tchaikowsky took this a step further by not only donating his body to science but also bequeathing his skull to the arts.
In his will, Tchaikowsky requested that his skull be given to the Royal Shakespeare Company, hoping it would be featured in a performance of Hamlet. Although he passed away in 1982, it took decades before anyone felt comfortable using the skull during a live production. Finally, in 2008, his wish was fulfilled when David Tennant incorporated the skull into a series of performances. Initially, the media was informed that a replica had been used, but it was later disclosed that the genuine skull had indeed been part of the show.
