Skip to main content RSS Info Close Search Facebook Twitter
Location
Category
Providers / Vacancies
Feedback

New American ways to depart the mortal coil

Gonzo journalist Hunter S Thompson had his remains shot out of a cannon to the tune of ‘Mr Tambourine Man’ while Star Trek James “Scotty” Doohan’s blasted his ashes into space.

In the US more personalised exits are being developed by baby boomers planning their final farewell.

“Boomers want to do things differently. It’s all about making funeral arrangements a part of our lives,” said Michelle Cromer, author of Exit Strategy, which explores more than a dozen unique farewells.

Eternal Reefs mixes ashes into an environmentally-safe, ball-shaped concrete “memorial reef” placed in the ocean to create a new marine habitat. 

Space Services Inc launches cremated remains into a suborbital flight, an earth orbit, while Angels Flight Inc packs ashes into fireworks for a bang-up service on land or at sea.

The Eternal Ascent Society has an order to release a five-foot, biodegradable helium balloon containing ashes so his friends can shoot at the balloon until it bursts and scatters the ashes.

Offbeat requests are changing the basic nature of the funeral business. “Clients want more control. They want a service to reflect their lives,” said Debora M Kellom, a spokesperson for the National Funeral Directors Association.

 

Share this article

Read next

Subscribe

Subscribe to our Talking Aged Care newsletter to get our latest articles, delivered straight to your inbox
  1. Eighty years after getting married, this couple lives together...
  2. Who says your age should limit your dreams?
  3. Data from a recently released report highlights a concerning...
  4. With an ageing and growing population, data from the...
  5. Approximately 411,000 Australians are estimated to be living...
  6. How could you benefit from attending university as an older...

Recent articles

  1. What is a lesser known impact of hearing loss for older...
  2. Are there options for older Australians to live in the same...
  3. The new initiative brings older Aussies together to see the...
  4. A collaboration between Dementia Australia and VistaPrint...
  5. How can you look after yourself during the expected heatwaves...
  6. How is an interactive app being used in aged care settings to...
  7. How could the upcoming strengthening of super standards save...
  8. Brother Thomas Oliver Pickett, a Western Australian volunteer,...
  9. Why is an illegal website targeting older Australians?
  10. Eighty years after getting married, this couple lives together...
  11. How does heart health impact your risk of dementia?
  12. Instead of going to the hospital, could older Australians...
  1. {{ result.posted_at | timeago }}

Sorry, no results were found
Perhaps you misspelled your search query, or need to try using broader search terms.
Please type a topic to search
Some frequently searched topics are "dementia", "elderly" etc
Close