Gene Roddenberry’s Estate Plan
Star Trek has become a pop culture phenomenon. Since its premiere on September 8, 1966, the television show has produced five spin offs and over a dozen major motion pictures. Merchandise influenced (and sold) by the brand includes toys, clothes, mugs, comic books, and novels. What’s more, the franchise shows no signs of slowing down.
Twenty five years after Star Trek first appeared on the small screen, its creator, Gene Roddenberry died. The cause of death was congestive heart failure. The date was October 24, 1991. He was seventy years old.
Aside from being a science fiction and pop culture icon, Roddenberry was also an estate planning enthusiast. Roddenberry, who dared his audience to boldly go where no man had gone before, found a way to utilize his estate plan like no man had ever utilized an estate plan before.
Roddenberry added a provision to his will, requesting that his ashes be scattered into space.
On October 22, 1992; a portion of Rodenberry’s cremated ashes were taken onboard the NASA space shuttle, Columbia. Roddenberry’s ashes were flown into space; then returned to Earth. It was the first ever “space burial.” … It wouldn’t be the last.
On April 21, 1997, (as per his estate plan), Rodenberry’s ashes were scattered into space. This time his cremated ashes shared a ride on a satellite with the ashes of twenty three other people. Among them was famed psychologist and philosopher, Timothy Leary.
In the years following Roddenberry’s “space burial,” others followed his lead. Among them were astronauts, school teachers, and even two original Star Trek cast members, (James Doohan who played Scotty & Majel Barrett who played Nurse Christine Chapel).
“Space burials” continue to this day.
For more information about wills, trusts or other estate planning documents, please contact a qualified estate planning attorney.
