Christa McAuliffe - Teacher in Space

 

"I touch the future. I teach."

Sharon Christa Corrigan (Christa McAuliffe) was born in Boston, Massachusetts on September 2, 1948.  In 1985, NASA chose her to be the first civilian in space, hoping to reinvigorate America's interest in space exploration.  On January 28, 1986, she was one of seven astronauts onboard Space Shuttle Challenger, a flight that was destined for disaster.  The shuttle exploded shortly after takeoff, killing all seven aboard.  It became a defining "where were you when" moment for an entire generation.

McAuliffe, who was of both Irish and Lebanese descent, beat out more than 11,000 applicants for NASA's Teacher in Space Project.  On her application, she recalled watching John Glenn orbit the Earth in Friendship 7, writing "I watched the Space Age being born, and I would like to participate."

Upon her selection, McAuliffe made the media rounds, promoting her upcoming flight.  While appearing on the Today Show in July 1985, she told host Bryant Gumbel, through a thick New England accent, that applying to NASA was like playing the lottery.  "If you don't play it, you don't win.  When I filled out that application, that's really how I felt.  I figured there'd be at least 50,000 people sticking that same application in the mailbox."

Six months later, she boarded Challenger on that fateful January morning.  The shuttle launched from Florida's Cape Canaveral at 11:38 ET, as people all over the world watched at home and in classrooms, while her friends and family watched from below.  Nobody was expecting the tragedy that would occur just 73 seconds into the flight, when a rocket booster failure led to the shuttle's explosion at an altitude of 48,000 feet, killing all seven aboard.

NASA began a search and recovery operation, but it would take more than three months to locate the crew compartment and all human remains.  NASA would later state their belief that several of the crew members survived the initial breakup of the shuttle, only to perish in the descent to the ocean floor below.

Christa McAuliffe was laid to rest at Blossom Hill Cemetery in her hometown of Concord, New Hampshire.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Christa McAuliffe, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.  You can also watch the 2007 documentary Christa McAuliffe: Reach for the Stars on YouTube.
  
  
• In 1990, the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center opened its doors in Concord.  Named in her honor, as well as that of fellow astronaut Alan Shepard, the center serves as an air and space museum, offering an observatory, a planetarium, vintage aircraft and more. That same year, the Christa McAuliffe Space Center opened in Pleasant Grove, Utah.  Offering a planetarium, starship simulators and laser shows, its goal is to introduce elementary school-aged children to the world of astronomy. 
  
  
• McAuliffe's runner-up in the Teacher in Space project, Barbara Morgan, became a professional astronaut in 1998, flying aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour to the International Space Station.
  
  
• Ten months after the disaster, Paramount Pictures released Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home.  The film opened with a dedication to the Challenger crew, stating that their "courageous spirit shall live to the 23rd century and beyond."
  
  
• In 2019, President Trump signed the Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin Act.  Subsequently in 2021, the Department of Treasury issued $1 silver coins in her memory.
  
  
• The grave of Dr. Ronald McNair, who was also onboard Challenger, was previously profiled by this blog.
  
  
• In 2024, the New Hampshire State Capitol unveiled a statue of McAuliffe on its grounds, inscribed with the quote that headlined this blog post.
  

Eva Gabor

 

"I was the first actress in the family, and I am still the only actress in the family.  I shouldn't be saying it, but it slipped out!"

Eva Gabor was born in Budapest, Hungary on February 11, 1919.  She was the youngest of three sisters born to mother Jolie, a jeweler, and father Vilmos, a soldier.  When Eva was just 18, she immigrated to America, the first in her family to do so.

Her first acting role came in 1941, when she appeared in the feature film Forced Landing.  Over the next decade, she'd land a number of small roles in other feature films, including The Last Time I Saw Paris, with Liz Taylor.  In 1953, Eva was even given her own television talk show, the aptly titled Eva Gabor Show, which ran for one season.

In 1965, Eva landed the role for which she is most famously remembered, that of socialite Lisa Douglas on the CBS sit-com Green Acres.  For reasons this blogger has never understood, the series was a huge hit, running for six seasons on CBS.  It proved so popular that Eva's character appeared on two CBS sister series, The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction.

After the show was canceled in 1971, Eva remained active in Hollywood, appearing as a semi-regular panelist on The Match Game.  She did a lot of voice-over work for Disney as well, appearing in such animated classics as The Aristocats and The Rescuers.  She attempted a return to television in 1990, but the pilot for her proposed series Close Encounters was never picked up.

In the summer of 1995, Eva was on vacation in Mexico, where she fell in the bathtub.  She returned to Los Angeles, but the damage was already done.  She died of pneumonia and respiratory failure on July 4th.  She was 76 years old.  Although she was the youngest of the three sisters, she was the first to pass, even preceding mother Jolie who would die two years later.

She was laid to rest at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village in Los Angeles.

Location: Lot #306
Inscription #1: Our Darling Eva
Inscription #2: You Are in Our Hearts Forever

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Eva Gabor, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• In 2005, Eva's co-star Eddie Albert passed away at the age of 99.  He was also laid to rest at Pierce Brothers, just a short walk from Eva's grave.
  
  
• Speaking of Albert, Eva reunited with him in 1983 for a Broadway production of You Can't Take it With You.
  
  
• Eva was a successful entrepreneur, marketing a host of women's accessories, including fashionwear, beauty products and a wig line called Charming Lady.  Check out this commercial from 1981 on YouTube.
  
  
• Of the three Gabor sisters, Eva is the only one to have never married actor George Sanders (Mr. Freeze).

Don "Bubba" Bexley

 

Donald Thomas Bexley was born on March 10, 1910.  By most official accounts, he was born in Jamestown, Virginia.  Other sources cite his place of birth as Detroit.  This blogger tends to believe the former. 

Bexley was born with a flair for the stage.  His mother was a classical vocalist while his father was a Bible scholar and teacher.  He got his own start in the 1940s as a standup comedian in upstate New York, working with such notables as Milton Berle, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Henny Youngman.  Bexley was the first African-American comedian to perform in the Catskills of New York.

During his travels, he met fellow comedian Redd Foxx.  They immediately hit it off and would often perform together, a friendship and professional relationship that would span fifty years.

In 1971, Foxx started his signature series hit Sanford and Son, convincing NBC to hire his friend as well.  Bexley was cast as Fred Sanford's friend Bubba, the role for which he is best remembered.  Bexley stayed with the show until it ended in 1977, later reprising the role in a short-lived spin-off (see Trivia below).

Bexley continued acting throughout the 1980s, appearing on such hits as Hill Street Blues, Cheers, and Laverne and Shirley.  By 1996, his health was in decline however, and after suffering a hip injury, Bexley relocated to Hampton, Virginia, just a stone's throw from this blogger.  It was there that he died of heart and kidney failure on April 15, 1997.  He was 87 years old.  He was laid to rest at Hampton Memorial Gardens.

Location: Veteran's Block #3, Lot #228, Space #1
Inscription #1: Bubba
Inscription #2: In God's Loving Care

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• Bexley was good friends with Redd Foxx for more than fifty years.  In 1991, Foxx was starring in the short-lived sit-com The Royal Family, and as this blog reported, he died on set.  Producers opted to kill off his character in a similar manner and continue the series.  Bexley pulled double duty, serving as a pallbearer at Foxx's Las Vegas service while appearing as a funeral guest on the sit-com as well.  You can watch the episode in its entirety on YouTube.
  
  
• In 1957, Bexley and partner Dave Turner released a comedy album called Laff of the Party.  Check it out on YouTube.  Note: While the YouTube comments section suggests that this is not a Don Bexley recording, this blogger has verified its authenticity.
  
  
• Bexley reprised the role of Bubba on the short-lived 1977 spin-off series The Sanford Arms.  Check out the intro on YouTube.
  
  
• Bexley had a brief, uncredited role in the 1984 flop turned cult classic Dune.
  
  
• In 1989, Bexley was named Outstanding Senior Citizen of the Year by Orlando's Support the Artists of America.

Jon-Erik Hexum: Tragic Death and the Gift of Life

"One of my strongest traits is confidence; at times I'm amazed at my confidence, even when it doesn't make sense that I should be."

Jon-Erik Hexum was born in Englewood, New Jersey on November 5, 1957.  He was the son of Norwegian immigrants who were divorced by the time he was just four years old.  Hexum's mother worked two jobs to support the family while finding time to introduce them to the theatre as well.

Hexum started acting when he was in high school, but he studied biomedical engineering at Case Western Reserve University.  He later transferred to Michigan State University, where he received a B.A. in Political Philosophy. 

After graduation, Hexum moved to New York City to pursue acting.  He found work cleaning apartments, and through this position, met Bob LeMond, a talent manager for several Hollywood notables, including John Travolta.  LeMond saw great potential in Hexum and encouraged him to move to Hollywood.

Hexum had barely unpacked when he was cast as the lead in an NBC time-travel series called Voyagers!  It only lasted for one season, but it put Hexum on the map.  He soon starred opposite Joan Collins in the 1983 made-for-TV movie Making of a Male Model.  This led to his final role opposite Jennifer O'Neill on the CBS spy drama series, Cover-Up, in 1984, the plot of which was absurd even by 1980's standards.

On Friday, October 12th, Hexum and other cast members were at 20th Century Fox completing production of the seventh episode.  Tired from numerous production delays, Hexum took a prop gun and pointed it at his head, ala Russian Roulette.  According to those on set, he reportedly said "oh well, what the hell" before pulling the trigger.  It was the last thing he'd ever say.

The explosion pushed a piece of Hexum's skull, approximately the size of a quarter, into his brain, causing massive hemorrhaging. He was rushed to Beverly Hills Medical Center, where he underwent immediate surgery.  News crews were already on hand, filing these reports.  Ultimately, there was never any chance that Hexum would recover.  He was declared brain dead just six days later, at the young age of 26.

Hexum was an organ donor. With his mother's consent, the following procedures were performed:

• heart - transplanted into a 36-year-old Las Vegas brothel owner
• kidneys - one donated to a 43-year-old grandmother, the other to a five-year-old boy
• corneas - one donated to a 66-year-old man, the other to a young girl
• skin - donated to a three-year-old boy with third-degree burns

Hexum was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.  The producers of Cover-Up opted to kill off his character and to replace him with actor Antony Hamilton.  His death was announced at the end of episode 8 by co-star Richard Anderson.  Here's a clip on YouTube.  Unfortunately, the tribute misspells Hexum's name.

Several years after Hexum's passing, friends and fans placed a marker in his honor at Valhalla Memorial Park in North Hollywood.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Jon-Erik Hexum, take a voyage to Amazon.  It's all in books.
  
  
• Hexum was interviewed for the November 1984 issue of Playgirl Magazine, appearing on the cover as well.  It was already on newsstands at the time of his death and is today considered something of a collector's item.
  
  
• At the time of his death, Hexum was dating actress Elizabeth Daily, best remembered for her role of Dottie in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure.  The film was in pre-production at the time of his death.
  
  
• In the wake of Hexum's death, Hollywood studios enacted much stricter rules regarding the safe use of prop guns and blanks on set.  The same rules apparently do not apply to real guns however, as evidenced by the accidental shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins by actor Alec Baldwin nearly 40 years later.
  
  
• In 2024, Scott Michaels of the Dearly Departed Tours YouTube channel, posted this vlog on Hexum's tragic death.

2025 Year in Review!

As 2025 comes to a close, it's time for this blogger to take inventory.  Over the last twelve months, I have visited the final resting places of 72 famous individuals, predominantly throughout the eastern United States.  This Rogues gallery includes four former presidents, five of their wives, historical outlaws, a famous psychic, a man buried in two separate graves, and oddly, two men who are still alive.

Some of these graves have already been profiled in this blog while others will come in time.  For now, here is a quick look at some of the more memorable standouts.

Walter Cronkite
November 4, 1916 - July 17, 2009
Cause of Death: Dementia
Mount Moriah Cemetery
Kansas City, Missouri

Finding the grave: I flew to Missouri in February, which arguably, is not the smartest time of the year to visit the Midwest.  A snowstorm the day I arrived buried all of the graves, making it next to impossible for me to find Cronkite's final resting place.  After two days of melting, my patience was finally rewarded.

Trivia: Mount Moriah is also the final resting place of candy mogul Russell Stover.

The Amazing Kreskin
January 12, 1935 - December 10, 2024
Cause of Death: Dementia
Gate of Heaven Cemetery
East Hanover, New Jersey

Finding the grave: This one had been on my radar for a few months after watching Jordan the Lion's video.  I met Kreskin ten years earlier at the Chiller Theatre Convention in nearby Parsiappny.  Fun, goofy guy.  His headstone even declares he can still read your mind.

Trivia: Gate of Heaven is also the final resting place of right-to-die figure Karen Ann Quinlan and her father Joseph.

Harry and Bess Truman
May 8, 1884 - December 26, 1972 
February 13, 1885 - October 18, 1982
Cause of Death: Heart failure (both)
Harry S. Truman Library and Museum
Independence, Missouri

Finding the grave: As with most presidential libraries, this one is well worth the visit.  This blogger highly recommends the guided tour for a complete history of Truman's life and his presidency.  Don't forget to check out his car collection downstairs.



Trivia: Daughter Margaret and her husband Elbert are also buried on the grounds.

Mary Louise "Texas" Guinan
January 12, 1884 - November 5, 1993
Cause of death: Ulcerative colitis
Calvary Cemetery
Woodside, New York

Finding the grave: Guinan was a well-known speakeasy proprietor during Prohibition. Decades later, the producers of Star Trek would christen a new character in her honor.  Like her namesake, Guinan, played by Whoopi Goldberg, tended bar on the Starship Enterprise.

Trivia: Calvary Cemetery was used for the funeral scene in the 1972 classic The Godfather.

Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini
July 15, 1850 - December 22, 1917
Cause of death: Malaria
Saint Frances Cabrini Shrine Chapel
Manhattan, New York

Finding the grave: This one is unique in that I discovered it on Roadside America, a site that profiles tourist attractions throughout the United States.  Perhaps it is profiled there as Cabrini's mummified body is on full display, except for the head and hands, which are artificial replacements.

Here's to more graves and adventures in 2026!  A complete list of 2025 appears below.

Allen DuMont, the Amazing Kreskin, Anne Rice, Antonin Scalia, Augustine Washington, Barry Winchell, Benjamin Moore, Bess Truman, Bob Dole, Boxcar Willie, Christophe Duminy de Glapion, Clarence Bassett, Clint Hill, Conchata Ferrell, Corinne Lawton Melchers, Denise Borino-Quinn, Dolley Madison, Dom DeLuise, Donna Douglas, E. Clifton Daniel, Jr., Elizabeth Monroe, Elizabeth Monroe Hay, Ellen Glasgow, Florence Bernardin Rees, Freda Sorce, Gari Melchers, George Pickett, George Washington, Gerald Balliles, Harry Truman, Henry David Thoreau, Homer Plessy, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, James Branch Cabell, James Madison, Jesse James, Jim Garrison, John F. Kennedy, John Kluge, Joseph Quinlan, Karen Ann Quinlan, Louis Zorich, Louisa May Alcott, Margaret Truman Daniel, Marie Laveau, Marion Dupont Scott, Martha Washington, Mary Ball Washington, Mary Louise "Texas" Guinan, Michael Sorce (still alive), Mildred Loving, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Nicolas Cage (still alive), Oliver Wendell Holmes, Olympia Dukakis, Paul Morphy, Percy Sledge, Powhatan, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Randy Renfrow, Richard Loving, Robert Bork, Robert Williams Daniel, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Shirley Booth, Stonewall Jackson (both graves), Tony Sirico, Walter Cronkite, Warren G. Harding, Wernher Von Braun, William Wortham Pool (the Richmond Vampire), and Zerelda James.

Rest in peace.

Christ's Tomb - Jerusalem

 

Admittedly, this blogger has never been to Jerusalem, or to the site of Christ's entombment.  This blog was created to explore famous graves however, and with the Christmas season upon us, it seemed like the right time to explore the most famous gravesite of them all.

For more than 1,700 years, Christians the world over have made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  It was originally established by Constantine the Great in 336 on what is believed to be the site of Christ's crucifixion and subsequent entombment. 

Twenty years earlier, Constantine had a vision, that of a cross in the sky.  In response, he sought permission to dig for the tomb, subsequently finding the remains of three crosses, one of which was said to have had healing properties.  The church was later built on this site.

As shown below, the tomb lies at the center of the church, which receives more than 2 million visitors each year.  The church also houses remnants and artifacts of Christ and the crucifixion (see Trivia below).  It is one of the most sacred places in the world of Christianity.

Merry Christmas!

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about the church, take a voyage to Amazon.  It's all in books.
  
  
• The church is home to the Rock of Calvary, where the crucifixion is believed to have occurred.  It is encased in glass at the altar.  Check out a clip on YouTube.
  
  
• The church has undergone a series of renovations over the centuries, the most significant of which was in 614, following an attack by Persian forces.

Mystery Grave Found in South Carolina!

 

Last week, this blogger was visiting Columbia, South Carolina on a work trip.  Before leaving town, I decided to do a little impromptu sightseeing at the state capitol building, and that's where I found this mystery grave!

A little online research revealed that this is the final resting place of Swanson Lunsford, a Revolutionary War captain and local civic leader.  But what's his story and why is he buried here?

Lunsford was born in Virginia around 1759.  When the Revolutionary War broke out in 1775, he joined the Continental Army, serving under famed cavalry leader "Light-Horse Harry" Lee.  Lunsford died of yellow fever in 1799.

The unconfirmed theory is that local leaders were concerned about the spread of the disease, opting to bury Lunsford on city grounds rather than in a public cemetery.  The first marker was placed on site by his descendants in 1837.  The headstone that stands today was installed by his great-great granddaughter Mary Craig Baker almost 120 years later.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• In 1927, Lunsford's original headstone was mistakenly reported as being stolen after his great-grandson had it removed for cleaning.
  
  
• Lunsford's grave survived the burning of the original capitol building (and much of the city itself) during the Civil War in 1865.
  
  
• The capitol grounds are also home to a memorial recognizing J. Marion Sims, a controversial figure widely known as the father of gynecology.  Sims perfected many of his techniques through experimental surgeries he performed on slaves.