He broke through the walls of Heaven. William Herschel, inscribed by son John
If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC. Kurt Vonnegut
Here lies Captain Blackadder and he’s bloody annoyed. Blackadder Goes Forth: Plan A – Captain Cook, Blackadder to Baldrick, BBC 1989
Free at last, free at last
Thank God almighty
We are free at last. Martin Luther King, 1929-68, epitaph
Nobles and heralds, by your leave,
Here lies what once was Matthew Prior;
The son of Adam and of Eve:
Can Bourbon or Nassau claim higher? Matthew Prior, Epitaph, 1721
Nothing can separate me from the love of God. Ayrton Senna Da Silva 21.03.1960 – 01.05.1994. Ayrton Senna
When I am dead, I hope it may be said:
‘His books were scarlet, but his books were read.’ Hilaire Belloc, 1870-1953
Swift has sailed into his rest;
Savage indignation there
Cannot lacerate his Breast.
Imitate him if you dare,
World-Besotted Traveler; he
Served human liberty. Jonathan Swift, translation W B Yeats
And were an epitaph to be my story
I’d have a short one ready for my own.
I would have written of me on my stone:
I had a lover’s quarrel with the world. Robert Frost, The Lesson for Today, 1942
In Affectionate Remembrance of English Cricket which died at The Oval on 29th August 1882. Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances. R.I.P. N.B. The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia. Sporting Times September 1882, following defeat to Australia
I should have been a Sir
But I think it’s something I said. Bernard Manning, proposed epitaph
Quiet, isn’t it? Frank Carson, proposed epitaph
Write on my gravestone Infidel! Traitor! Infidel to every church that compromises with wrong, traitor to every government that oppresses the people. Wendell Phillips
This is the epitaph I want on my tomb: Here lies one of the most intelligent animals who ever appeared on the face on the earth. Benito Mussolini
THIS IS ON ME. William P Rothwell of Rhode Island, carved on boulder
Here lies Groucho Marx – and lies and lies and
Lies. P.S. He never kissed an ugly girl. Groucho Marx, proposed epitaph
Here lies Fred,
Who was alive and is dead:
Had it been his father,
I had much rather;
Had it been his brother,
Still better than another;
Had it been his sister,
No-one would have missed her;
Had it been the whole generation,
So much better for the nation:
But since 'tis only Fred,
Who was alive and is dead, –
There’s no more to be said. Anonymous, On Prince Frederick Louis 1707-1751
Here lies one who for medicines would not give
A little gold, and so his life he lost;
I fancy now he’d wish again to live,
Could he but guess how much his funeral cost. Anonymous
None without hope e’er lov’d the brightest fair,
But love can hope where reason would despair. George Lyttelton
Together Again. Gracie Allen and George Burns
Don’t Try. Charles Bukowski
While Butler, needy wretch, was yet alive,
No generous patron would a dinner give;
See him, when starv’d to death, and turn’d to dust,
Presented with a monumental bust.
The poet’s fate is here in emblem shown,
He ask’d for bread, and he received a stone. Samuel Butler, authored Samuel Wesley
Jeez, he was just here a minute ago. George Carlin, proposed epitaph
A star on Earth – a star in Heaven. Karen Carpenter
She did it the hard way. Bette Davis
Here lies W C Fields. I would rather be living in Philadelphia. W C Fields, proposed epitaph
He lies here, somewhere. Werner Heisenberg
Here lies the body of Richard Hind,
Who was neither ingenious, sober, nor kind. Richard Hind
Murdered by a traitor and a coward whose name is not worthy to appear here. Jesse James, authored his mother
Here lies one whose name was writ in water. John Keats, proposed epitaph
Here lies Matthew Mudd,
Death did him no hurt;
When alive he was only Mudd,
But now he’s only dirt. Matthew Mudd, Massachusetts
As the flowers are all made sweeter by
the sunshine and the dew, so this old
world is made brighter by the lives
of folks like you. Bonnie Parker
Is this your card? Penn & Teller, proposed epitaph
He had the 2nd fastest draw. Only bettered by Slow Draw Shaw. Quick Draw McGraw
The best is yet to come. Frank Sinatra
Here lies a great and mighty king
Whose promise none relies on;
He never said a foolish thing,
Nor ever did a wise one. John Wilmot, proposed epitaph for Charles II
You’ve lost your job, you’ve lost your dough, your jewels and handsome houses, but things could be worse you know, as least you have your trousers. Jack Machine Gun McGurn, 1905-1936 shot to death, note left mock epitaph, cited Valentine’s Day Massacre, National Geographic
Here lies the body
of Jonathan Blake
Stepped on the gas
Instead of the brake. Jonathan Blake, author unknown, Uniontown Pennsylvania
Here lays Butch,
We planted him raw.
He was quick on the trigger,
But slow on the draw. Author unknown, Silver City Nevada cemetery
Here lies the body of our Anna
Done to death by a banana
It wasn’t the fruit that laid her low
But the skin of the thing that made her go. Anna Hopewell, Enosburg Falls Vermont
Truth to your own spirit. Jim Morrison
The children of Israel wanted bread
And the Lord sent them manna,
Old clerk Wallace wanted a wife,
And the Devil sent him Anna. Author unknown, Ribbesford, England