by J. Malec

Celebrities Who Have Been Cremated and How They Were Memorialized

Tabloids often tout that celebrities are just like us – they live and die in largely the same way as we do. Celebrities and their families also face the same end-of-life decisions including cremation vs. burial, what type of cremation urn for ashes to use, whether scattering urns are the right investment and how best to memorialize the deceased. Many of the world’s greatest minds, influential politicians, most memorable actors and inspiring artists have been cremated, and the stories of what happened with their ashes are as interesting as the individuals themselves.

Below are five examples of celebrities who were cremated and what was done with their ashes.

Albert Einstein (physicist, scientist)

Einstein, best known for developing the theory of relativity and being one of the greatest scientific minds of the past century, was to be cremated at death and scattered in a river by family. However, it is well known that Einstein's brain was removed for scientific study during the autopsy without prior permission. His ashes were scattered at an undisclosed location along the Delaware River, while his brain was dissected and studied. Today, slides of Einstein’s brain can be seen at the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia. Because his brain continued on its own journey after the ash scattering, in a way, the specimen jar could be considered Einstein’s urn.

Sigmund Freud (Austrian neurologist)

Known as the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium, the first to be opened in London and the oldest in Britain. His remains rest with the remains of his wife Martha in the crematorium's Ernest George Columbarium. Their urn is an ancient Greek vessel, a gift from Princess Bonaparte, which rests on a plinth designed by Freud’s son Ernst. In 2014, thieves attempted to steal Freud’s ashes, damaging the Greek bell krater urn in the process. The urn was temporarily moved to a secure location where it was restored, and now rests behind glass and is guarded by security.

Alfred Hitchcock (film director)

The ‘Master of Suspense’ chose to be cremated and scattered in multiple locations around the world, including over the Pacific Ocean while in flight. You can still purchase one of several urns used to transport his ashes on Ebay, should you be interested in obtaining a quality urn with an interesting story attached.

Janis Joplin (singer)

For many a flower child, Joplin defined an era. She died of a heroin overdose at a young age. She had prepared and left her wishes to be cremated at the Pierce Brother Westwood Village Mortuary. She also requested that her ashes be scattered by plane over the Pacific Ocean, and on Stinson Beach in Northern California. Another of her requests was that $2,500 be set aside for a wake at which the Grateful Dead played. While the funeral itself was held privately, 200 invitations read “Drinks are on Pearl.”

Amy Winehouse (singer)

Like Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse is one of the “27 Club,” a collection of otherwise unrelated popular musicians who died tragically at the age of 27. After a private funeral, Winehouse was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium. Her ashes were buried with those of her beloved grandmother who had passed 5 years earlier. Their resting place was marked by a pink and black headstone that was unveiled in Winehouse’s honor. Her cremation was unusual, as she was Jewish and cremation is traditionally frowned upon.

One thing that must be especially difficult for the families of celebrities is the relentless onslaught of media coverage around celebrity deaths. In Amy Winehouse’s example, publicity abounded about the decision to cremate, which is a private matter. Surprisingly just like the rest of us, famous personalities often have very simple wishes for their arrangements, and family comes first in the end. There are many more celebrities and important individuals who chose cremation as their memorial method of choice after they passed away. These include individuals like Robin Williams, Joan Rivers, John F. Kennedy Jr. and many others. If you’re considering cremation, it can be helpful to know that some of the most important people of our time were – and are – as well.

The decision to cremate indicates additional choices. Selecting an ash container requires choosing between memorial urns to display, keepsake and jewelry urns, or biodegradable and scattering urns. Deciding on how to memorialize a loved one will guide final choices around a memorial service and what urn will become the final resting place. If you would like to know more about the different ways cremated remains can be honored and memorialized, or if you’d like more help deciding to choose cremation, read more about it in our blog post Choosing to Cremate or Not.