Five Unusual Wills

Your will doesn't have to be boring. Here are five last wishes that are anything but ordinary.

1. Comic book ashes

Mark Gruenwald, the mind behind comic books such as "Captain America" and "Quasar" Supreme, wished to have his ashes combined with ink. This new mixture was to be used in publishing a 12-part comic series "Squadron Supreme" as a single volume. The copies of the book are now a collector's item.

2. To bequeath, or not to bequeath

After a battle with cancer, the Polish composer André Tchaikovsky, had his skull donated to the Royal Shakespeare Company in London. The skull had been left in the props department for 25 years until it was finally used for the production of Hamlet.

3. Ride of his life

Gene Roddenbery, producer of the original Star Trek television series, left instructions in his will to have his ashes scattered by a space satellite that orbited the earth. His remains were then put on NASA's Space Shuttle Columbia for distribution in October 1992.

4. Spirited away

Upon his death on Halloween, escape artist Harry Houdini left wishes for his wife to hold an annual séance. The two had a secret code which a medium could relay to prove that the contact was made with his spirit. This continued for ten years with no luck.

5. Auto Icon

The English philosopher, Jeremy Bentham, wished that he was to be embalmed, put in a black suit and be seated upright on a chair under a placard reading "Auto Icon".

After an error in embalming, the head was so severly disfigured that a wax replacement had been put in its place. His body has been in display at the University College London for over 150 years.

Last Thoughts

At the end of the day, a will is an important document that needs accuracy and attention. But no one said a will had to be boring.

A will does, however, need to be found. Read about how NoticeConnect's Canada Will Registry can help.