Three Stooges? Six Graves.

Between 1934 and 1970, six men would comprise one of the greatest comedy teams ever assembled, the Three Stooges.  With humble beginnings as a vaudeville act, brothers Moe and Curly Howard, joined by partner Larry Fine, would produce 90 shorts for Columbia films.  When Curly's health began to deteriorate, older brother Shemp Howard assumed his role as the third Stooge, but he too would later be replaced, first by Joe Besser, then after a ten-year Stooge hiatus, by Joe DeRita.

All six stooges are buried in the Los Angeles area.  So what are you waiting for knuckleheads?

Curly Howard, by far the most popular Stooge, was the first to pass, on January 18, 1952.  His death followed a long six years of health problems that began with a stroke in 1946, from which most sources claim he never fully recovered.  He was interred at Home of Peace Memorial Park in Los Angeles.


Plot: Western Jewish Institute Section, Row 5, Grave 1
GPS coordinates: 34.0222168, -118.1766052 (hddd.dddd)
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Curly's given name was Jerome Lester Horwitz.

Shemp Howard was the next to go, passing on November 22, 1955, following a massive heart attack in the back of a taxi cab.  The fare was never paid.  Like his younger brother Curly, he was laid to rest at Home of Peace Memorial Park.

Plot: Mausoleum, Corridor of Eternal Life, Second Tier from the bottom.
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Shemp's given name was Samuel Horwitz.

With the loss of two of the Howard brothers just a few years apart, Stooge fans would get a reprieve for the next two decades.  Then in 1975, they’d suffer another round of back-to-back losses.

Larry Fine spent the last few years of his life in an industry retirement community, following a series of strokes in the early 1970s.   Stooge fans were allowed to visit, whom he was always happy to meet.  When asked if he’d enjoyed being a Stooge, he’d quip “it wasn’t fun; it was work – but it paid off good, so I enjoyed it.”  He passed on January 24, 1975, and was interred at Forest Lawn Glendale.

Plot: Freedom Mausoleum, Sanctuary of Liberation
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Larry's given name was Louis Feinberg.

Before passing, Larry published his autobiography Stroke of Luck, which focused on his final years as a stroke survivor.

Just four months later, head Stooge Moe Howard lost his battle with lung cancer, on May 4, 1975.  In the months leading up to his death, Moe had been preparing his own autobiography, I Stooged to Conquer.  It was posthumously released under a different title, Moe Howard and the Three Stooges.  He was interred at Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City.

Plot: Garden of Memories, Alcove of Love, Wall C, Crypt 233
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Moe's given name was Moses Harry Horwitz.

With the death of Moe, the core Stooge group had all passed away, leaving fans with just two remaining secondary members.

Joe Besser, the second replacement for Curly, passed on March 1, 1988.  He was found dead in his home, which was later attributed to heart failure.  Joe was buried at Forest Lawn Glendale, just a short walk from the mausoleum where Larry Fine was laid to rest. 

Plot: Dedication, L-4404, space 2A
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The final man to bear the Stooge crown, Joe “Curly Joe” DeRita, passed on July 3, 1993, following a bout with pneumonia.  Ironically, DeRita was never a fan of Stooge comedy, stating that while they were physical, they were never actually funny.  Stooge fans disagree.  He was interred at Pierce Brothers Valhalla Memorial Park.  His is the only headstone to acknowledge the Stooges.

Plot: Block D, Section 338, Lot 19
GPS coordinates: 34.1875916, -118.3608322 (hddd.dddd)
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