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1.
Tupac Shakur — Requested his ashes be smoked by members of his old group, Outlawz.
For a long time, it was just a rumor that members of Outlawz smoked Tupac’s ashes after his funeral. However, in 2011, the story was confirmed. According to the Huffington Post, members of Outlawz confirmed to VLADTV, saying, “Yes, it’s definitely true…had a little memorial for him with his mom and his family. We had hit the beach, threw [in] a lot of shit he liked at the beach. Some weed, some chicken wings, he loved orange soda… Pac loved that kind of shit, so we were giving him our own farewell. If you listen to ‘Black Jesus,’ he said, ‘Last wishes, n****s smoke my ashes.’ That was a request that he had. Now, how serious he was about it? We took it serious.”
2.
Lemmy Kilmister of the band Motörhead — Had his ashes turned into bullets and given to his closest friends.
After Lemmy died in 2015, his ashes were placed in bullet casings and given to close friends as a final tribute. Recipients included former MTV host Riki Rachtman, Rob Halford of the band Judas Priest, and Ugly Kid Joe singer Whitefield Crane, among others. Each of them received a bullet engraved with Lemmy’s name and a heartfelt letter reading: “We all know Lemmy knew many people, but had few that he considered friends and even fewer that he considered family. Being that you are one of those people he considered family, we would like to share a little piece of him with you. Lemmy touched all of our lives in a way we don’t think any of us could forget, but with these ashes you know… you keep Lemmy with you forever. He was Lemmy. He played Rock ‘n’ Roll. Don’t forget him.”
3.
Mark Gruenwald (Marvel Comics editor) — Asked for his ashes to be mixed into Marvel comic-book ink.
After the longtime Marvel Comics editor and writer died in 1996, his ashes were mixed into the printing ink for the first trade paperback edition of Squadron Supreme, one of his most notable works. Marvel said it was their way of honoring his wish to “live forever through his comics.”
4.
Tony Curtis — Asked to be buried with many things, including a Stetson hat, an Armani scarf, his iPhone, driving gloves, and a copy of his favorite novel, Anthony Adverse.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Tony Curtis’s funeral had over 400 attendees. The service featured tributes from family and friends, including Arnold Schwarzenegger and daughter Jamie Lee Curtis, who shared humorous and touching memories. Curtis’s wife Jill even described personal items buried with him — like paintbrushes, a fencing saber, seven packets of Splenda, Percocet pills, and a poem to their dog. The ceremony concluded with a poem written by Curtis himself, marking a poetic farewell to a beloved icon.
5.
Harry Houdini — Offered a reward to anyone who could prove they could contact the dead, and also asked his wife to hold an annual séance on Halloween to try and contact him.
Before he died in 1926, Houdini made a pact with his wife, Bess, to conduct an annual séance on Halloween, using a secret code only the two of them knew. The idea was that if anyone could contact him from the afterlife, it would be her. For ten years, she faithfully held séances, but Houdini never “came through.” Eventually, she declared the experiment a failure, saying, “Ten years is long enough to wait for any man.” Nonetheless, fans and magicians continue to hold Houdini séances to this day.
6.
Hunter S. Thompson — Had his ashes “blasted out of a cannon.”
Allegedly, Thompson’s friend, actor Johnny Depp (who starred in an adaptation of Thompson’s novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) spent $3 million to arrange this strange request. According to the Independent, a lawsuit from Depp’s former managers explained, “Thompson’s ashes were fired from a cannon that was placed atop a 153-foot (47m) tower shaped like a double-thumbed fist clutching a peyote button. The funeral was attended by Senator John Kerry, Jack Nicholson, John Cusack, Bill Murray, Benicio del Toro, Sean Penn, Josh Hartnett, Ralph Steadman, and more.”
7.
Gene Roddenberry — Requested his ashes be sent to space.
In October 1992, a small portion of the Star Trek creator’s ashes flew with NASA astronaut James Weatherbee among his “personal effects” on the Space Shuttle Columbia.
Interestingly, his wife, Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, who played multiple roles in Star Trek, also requested the same thing. In 2024, Gene’s and Majel’s DNA were successfully launched into deep space on the Celestis Enterprise Flight alongside the DNA of their son Eugene and the ashes of Star Trek stars James Doohan (Scotty), DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy), and Nichelle Nichols (Lt Uhura).
8.
James Doohan — The Star Trek star had his ashes flown into space (before the Celestis Enterprise Flight).
In 2008, Doohan’s ashes were apparently smuggled onto the International Space Station by video game developer and entrepreneur Richard Garriott. Garriott told the Sunday Times that he was contacted by the actor’s son, Chris Doohan, who said it was his father’s wish to make it to the ISS.
Garriott accepted the request and took possession of Doohan’s ashes, but because of strict timelines, he couldn’t go through the official approval process required to bring items onto the station. Instead, in what he described as a “completely clandestine” effort, he secretly carried several laminated cards containing some of Doohan’s ashes aboard the ISS. Once there, he discreetly tucked one of the cards beneath the floor panels of the Columbus module.
9.
Jack Benny — Requested a single red rose be delivered to his wife every day for the rest of her life.
When comedian Jack Benny died in 1974, he left instructions in his will for his wife, Mary Livingstone, to receive a single red rose every day for the rest of her life. After his passing, florists began delivering them daily, and Mary confirmed that the roses arrived without fail until her own death in 1983.
10.
Alexander McQueen — Left £50,000 (or $75,000) for the care of his dogs.
When British fashion designer Alexander McQueen died in 2010, his will included provisions for his beloved dogs. He left £50,000 (around $75,000 at the time) specifically for their lifelong care. His will also directed money to his family, staff, and several charities.
11.
Dusty Springfield — Left some very colorful and affectionate instructions for her beloved cat, Nicholas.
The legendary British singer specified that her cat Nicholas be fed imported baby food, serenaded with her own songs, and housed in a specially built indoor treehouse. She even went so far as to arrange a “wedding” for Nicholas to a friend’s female cat, complete with a ceremony.
12.
Janis Joplin — Set aside $2,500 for a post-death party.
In her will, the iconic singer set aside $2,500 for a party to be held after her death. True to her wishes, a lively wake took place at the Lion’s Share club in San Anselmo, California, a few weeks after she died. Friends, family, and fellow musicians gathered to celebrate her life with music, food, and drinks.
For the first public viewing, Franklin wore red as a nod to her honorary membership of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority. At the second viewing, Franklin wore a powder-blue dress with sparkling shoes. And for the final viewing, she was dressed in a rose gold custom knit gown that had pink beaded lace.
For the actual funeral, Franklin wore a sparkling full-length gold dress with sequined heels.
14.
Charles Dickens — Left very specific instructions for how his funeral should look.
In his will, Dickens asked that attendees not wear scarves, cloaks, black bows, long hatbands, or top hats, as he apparently disliked the “showy trappings” of Victorian mourning. He wanted his burial to be simple and unpretentious.
Despite his wishes for privacy, Dickens was ultimately buried in Poets’ Corner at Westminster Abbey in 1870, where crowds came to pay their respects — though his funeral attire rules were still observed.
15.
Ed Headrick (Frisbee inventor) — Had his ashes molded into Frisbees and given to friends and family.
After Headrick died, his ashes were mixed into limited-edition Frisbees. These were then given to friends and family, allowing his loved ones to literally play with and celebrate his legacy. Interestingly, Headrick’s son Daniel said, “For years, he used to joke about saying he wanted to live on as a Frisbee.”
16.
Fred Baur, inventor of Pringles — Wanted to be buried in a Pringles can.
Baur created the design for the famous, tubular Pringles can in 1966 and was so proud of this fact that he wanted to make it a part of his last wishes, so some of his ashes were buried in one. According to Time, Baur’s oldest son, “Larry and his siblings stopped at Walgreen’s for a burial can of Pringles on their way to the funeral home. ‘My siblings and I briefly debated what flavor to use,’ Baur says, ‘but I said, “Look, we need to use the original.”‘”
17.
Finally, Elizabeth Taylor — Requested that she be “fashionably late” to her own funeral.
Taylor’s funeral (and resting place) was held at the Great Mausoleum in Glendale, California’s famed Forest Lawn Cemetery. According to Time Magazine, “In accordance with her last wishes, the funeral began 15 minutes after its announced start time. According to her publicist, Sally Morrison, Taylor left instructions and requested that someone announce those literally immortal words, ‘She even wanted to be late for her own funeral.'”
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