Having ashes scattered at sea as a final resting place is a rite that predates recorded history. Today, scattering ashes at sea continues to be a preference for many.
And that includes countless historical figures and modern celebrities.
In this post, we'll take a look at 10 famous individuals who wished to have a sea burial.
Choosing to have your cremated remains scattered at sea is a decision that goes back hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Here are 10 names you might recognize who chose to have their final resting place be the sea.
Throughout his life, Robin Williams and his mother were very close. She passed away in 2001 and had her ashes scattered in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Francisco. After Robin Williams tragically committed suicide in the summer of 2014, he was cremated and his remains were scattered at the same place as his mothers.
Janis Joplin, the iconic singer of the 1960s, had her ashes scattered into the sea at Stinson Beach, located in Marin County, California. Her ashes were spread by plane.
Jerry Garcia, the legendary frontman of the Grateful Dead, had his body cremated after his death in 1995. In life, Garcia was a scuba diving enthusiast and a coral reef advocate. After his passing, the sea was made his final resting place. He had his ashes scattered in two places: in the waters near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, CA, and in the Ganges River of India.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jr., the son of former US President John F. Kennedy, had his ashes scattered at sea. He, along with his wife and her sister, were killed in a 1999 plane accident. Their bodies were cremated and scattered into the Atlantic Ocean near Martha's Vineyard. The choice for a sea burial was in honor of the Kennedy family's love for the sea.
Gene Kelly may have been widely known for his talents in film, music and dance, but it was always his wish to have an understated farewell after his passing. This award winning actor passed away in 1996 and had his ashes scattered in the Pacific Ocean, in accordance with his final wishes.
Sir Francis Drake never starred in any movies or topped the charts with any music. His name is recorded in the history books for his contributions to exploration and maritime warfare. This 16th century naval hero contracted dysentery on an expedition to South America and died as a result. His ashes were scattered at sea in the waters near Panama.
Francis Crick, a molecular biologist and co-discoverer of DNA, is another one of many famous people buried at sea. Crick spent his later years living and working in San Diego, California. Upon his death in 2004, his final wishes were honored and his cremated remains were scattered into the Pacific Ocean.
Steve McQueen, another award winning actor on this list, also requested that his final resting place be the sea. After he passed away in 1980, McQueen's body was cremated and his ashes were scattered in waters that were important to him in life: Santa Catalina Island off the coast of California.
Alfred Hitchcock's name will forever be tied with cinema, a medium he helped to innovate. Hitchcock passed away in 1980 in Los Angeles, California. In accordance with his final wishes, Hitchcock's body was cremated and his ashes spread into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.
During his life, famous American singer and songwriter John Denver was an advocate for environmental issues and had a deep connection to the sea. He tragically died in 1997 when a small plane he had built himself crashed into the Pacific Ocean. After his death, his body was cremated and his family held a sea burial ceremony near Monterey Bay, California.
As you can see, many notable people throughout history have chosen a burial at sea for their final resting place.
For those who may be seeking to gather information on sea burials, and are curious about ash scattering ceremonies in the Southern California Pacific Ocean, contact us today.
