A gutsy broad; a trailblazer; a foulmouthed comedienne; a sharp-tongued sartorial critic; a mean old bat; a caring wife, mother, and grandmother: Joan Rivers was one of a kind.
On September 4, 2014, the world learned of Rivers’ death and began mourning the icon known as a pioneering female comic who got her start on the Tonight Show, and later as the acerbic red carpet diva who was an award show staple. Following the still-fresh death of fellow comedian Robin Williams earlier in 2014, Rivers’ death signified a passing of the old guard of comedy, leaving an indelible mark on audiences who have grown up watching her.
Joan Rivers’ Cremation Wish
Joan Rivers passed away at the age of 81 at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York after going into cardiac arrest during a routine medical procedure. Following her death, Rivers was transported to the Frank E. Campbell funeral home on the Upper East Side, where she was prepared for cremation and placed into a casket. Her grandson Cooper and daughter Melissa were present at the funeral home to bid farewell to Rivers, her daughter kissing the mahogany casket before a black hearse transferred it to the Garden State Crematory. On September 7, Rivers’ family held a Hollywood star-studded, post-cremation funeral service for her at the Temple Emanu-El in New York City.
All went according to Rivers’ own plan. In fact, she had told the Daily Beast in one of herfinal interviewsthat she thought about her own death often and wished to be cremated:
“In your 80s, you’d be foolish not to think about [your death]. I am definitely going to be cremated. I’ve left money so the dogs can be taken care of. I’ve said to Melissa, ‘Sell anything and everything you don’t want. Don’t feel beholden to my possessions.’ I feel almost hysterical on that. I don’t want them to have a sense of guilt.”
It is perhaps unsurprising that Rivers often considered her own mortality, after having suffered the tragic suicide of her second husband Edgar Rosenberg in 1987 and the more recent death of her sister Barbara Wexler. Her comment about guilt potentially speaks to her own experience of dealing with the loss of her beloved family members, and her encouragement to let go of physical reminders perhaps informed her choice of cremation – a wish for a simple, dignified service that leaves only ashes and fondmemories behind.
Like many great comedians, Joan Rivers made us laugh as well as brought a healthy dose of realism to our everyday lives. Besides her daughter and partner in crime Melissa and her only grandson Cooper, Joan Rivers leaves behind a legacy of fearlessness, so very evident in everything, from her iconoclastic commentary to confronting death and planning her own cremation. Remembering Joan, we should all be so gutsy.
