11 Unconventional Headstone Inscriptions

While many gravestones adhere to traditional inscriptions, there are no strict guidelines governing what can be etched onto a headstone. In certain cemeteries, you can spot grave markers that feature humor, iconic movie lines, cryptic messages, or even recipes. Some graves honor famous figures, while others are distinctive enough to grant the deceased notoriety in the afterlife. Here are 11 headstones that creatively stand out.

1. Mel Blanc’s Iconic Looney Tunes Farewell

In a cemetery rich with famous graves, only the most exceptional tombstones truly grab attention. Mel Blanc’s marker at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles may not be the most extravagant, but its inscription makes it one of the most amusing: ‘That’s all folks’ is etched above the legendary voice actor's name. Given his career of entertaining generations of cartoon lovers, it’s a fitting tribute that his legacy continues to bring joy, even in death.

2. Naomi Odessa Miller-Dawson’s Cookie Legacy

While many people pass down cherished family recipes, few immortalize them on their gravestones. Naomi Odessa Miller-Dawson’s final resting place at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn features a ‘recipe book’ engraved on the stone, detailing the ingredients for her beloved spritz cookies. Visitors can easily recreate these treats at home. Digital librarian Rosie Grant, who curates recipes from headstones across the U.S., helped spotlight Miller-Dawson’s memorial in 2022 as the launch of her project.

3. The Enigmatic Notes of a Violinist

Second Lieutenant Hugh Gordon Langton’s headstone at the Poelcapelle British Cemetery bears a cryptic musical phrase. Langton, who trained with some of Europe's finest violinists before dying in World War I, clearly wanted to be remembered through music. However, the notation remains an unsolved puzzle, with no known connection to any existing composition. In 2017, a full piece was created from this melody and performed at his gravesite during the centennial of his death.

4. The QR Code of a Funeral Director

In the digital age, visiting a grave can be an interactive experience. Quiring Monuments, with over a century of expertise in memorial services, began offering custom QR codes as part of their headstone designs in the 2010s. One of the first to feature this modern touch is the grave of the company’s former owner, David Quiring Sr., at Seattle’s Evergreen Washelli Memorial Park. Scanning his headstone’s QR code reveals a digital tribute, including a sepia-toned portrait, an obituary, and a scan of a Robert Frost poem he carried in his wallet.

5. Merv Griffin’s Clever Tribute for His Audience

As the mastermind behind Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, and the host of his own long-running talk show, Merv Griffin made an indelible mark on television. His fans can pay their respects at his grave in Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles. The inscription on his headstone humorously reads, ‘I will not be right back after this message’—a playful nod to his famous catchphrase used during commercial breaks.

6. A Freemason’s Enigmatic Cipher

James Leeson’s tombstone outside Trinity Church in Manhattan pays homage to his Freemason heritage through a clever cipher. Upon his death in 1794, he left behind a headstone inscribed with a mysterious message written in pigpen cipher—a symbol-based code used by Freemasons to protect secrets. The code has since been deciphered, revealing the phrase ‘Remember Death,’ which has now transcended the organization and is known to the public.

7. Dorothy Parker’s Sharp-Tongued Epitaph

Author Dorothy Parker, renowned for her sharp wit, left her mark not only in her writing but also with her epitaph. Upon her death in 1967, Parker bequeathed most of her estate to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Foundation, with the NAACP inheriting it after King’s assassination the following year.

Throughout her life, Parker often quipped that ‘excuse my dust’ would be the ideal epitaph. Her request was honored when her ashes were interred behind the NAACP headquarters in Baltimore (though they have since been relocated to Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx). The original inscription read: ‘For her epitaph, she suggested ‘Excuse My Dust.’ This memorial garden is dedicated to her noble spirit, which celebrated the unity of humankind and the everlasting bonds of friendship between Black and Jewish communities.’

8. A Gay Vietnam Veteran’s Heartfelt Message

Rather than displaying a name, this Washington, D.C. headstone honors ‘A Gay Vietnam Veteran’ with a powerful message: ‘When I was in the military, they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one.’

The memorial serves to honor all gay veterans, though it specifically marks the grave of Leonard Matlovich. In 1975, Matlovich, an Air Force tech sergeant and recipient of both the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, famously came out to his superiors. Despite insisting that his sexual orientation had no bearing on his military performance, he was discharged. Matlovich died in 1988 at the age of 44 from AIDS-related complications.

9. A Gentleman Gunfighter’s Deadly Legacy

In Pecos, Texas, you can visit the grave of a notorious ‘gentleman gunfighter.’ Robert Clay Allison was known in the Wild West for his lightning-fast draw and fiery temper. With at least 20 men killed according to some sources, his epitaph boldly reflects his violent past. It reads, ‘He never killed a man who didn’t need killing.’

10. A Jedi Priest’s Star Wars Tribute

Steven Ford’s Jedi Priesthood and Star Wars Tribute

Steven Ford was so passionate about the Star Wars movies that he became the first Jedi priest to be ordained in Utah. In 2008, he even officiated his brother’s wedding, complete with a lightsaber holstered at his side. His headstone in West Valley City, Utah’s Memorial Park pays tribute to his real-life Jedi calling with the iconic Star Wars line, ‘May the Force be with you—always.’

Emily Dickinson’s mastery of language made her one of the most celebrated poets of the 19th century. Instead of inscribing long stanzas on her grave in Amherst, Massachusetts’s West Cemetery, she chose a concise epitaph. Along with her name, birthdate, and date of death, it simply reads, ‘Called back.’ These were also the last words she wrote in a letter to her cousins just before her death in 1886.