18 January 2012 12:12 PM
Christopher Hitchens. Funeral and Memorial arrangements
First may I once again thank the many people who visited this site to express condolences on the death of my late brother, Christopher. I was most moved that so many people crossed the divide of opinion to do so.
Second, I felt I should post here two facts that, although they are to be found on the Internet, are still unknown to many.
Some people have asked me when and where my brother’s funeral took place. In fact, as Christopher donated his body to medical science, there has not been and will not be any funeral. He took this decision partly because of his religious (or rather non-religious) opinions, and partly because, much influenced by his friend Jessica Mitford and her book ‘The American Way of Death’, he disliked what he regarded as the excesses of the American funeral industry.
There are many discussions now taking place about various other forms of commemoration. There will certainly be a memorial gathering in New York City during the Spring, most probably in April. I would expect that, later on, there will also be some sort of event in London. I would hope to be able to post details when these are clear.
If lots of people offered to donate their entire bodies, not just organs, I suspect the supply would overwhelm the demand. I see a number of other alternatives to embalming or vaults.
ReplyDeleteThere is a business in Maryland that provides workshops and consultation for home funerals named Crossings: http://www.crossings.net/
There are several conservation burial sites that utilize the income to help preserve wild lands where the burials are located. There are several business that mix cremation ashes with concrete to create ocean reefs.
There is a Green Burial Council that certifies and rates providers, cemeteries, cremation disposition, and funeral goods. It currently lists two providers for Maryland, one is rated two leafs, the other three leafs, which is their highest rating.