Famous Gravesites in Washington

There are several famous gravesites in Washington from some groundbreaking individuals. One renowned resident famously does not have a proper gravesite, but there are ways you can visit to pay your respects to this famous Washington resident.

Here are four Washingtonians and their places of rest.

Bruce Lee 

When I was 12 years old, Bruce’s martial arts skills in early 70s action movies such as “Enter the Dragon” and “Game of Death” were epic. He was like a superhero to me.

Growing up, I was surprised that my hero, Bruce Lee, had studied at the University of Washington in Seattle. His famous resting place is beside his son, Brandon Lee, at the Lakeview Cemetery in Seattle.

Bruce Lee November 27th, 1940 to July 20th, 1973.

Jimi Hendrix

This Seattle icon from the Central District is still considered one of the most innovative and talented guitarists ever.

Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images

Before famously performing at Woodstock in 1969, Jimi Hendrix wowed members of The Beatles by performing his take on Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band on a Sunday evening in May of 1967 - at a London nightclub two days after its Friday release. Jimi Hendrix is laid to rest at Greenwood Memorial Park in Renton.

“Jimi opened, the curtains flew back, and he came walking forward, playing ‘Sgt. Pepper’, and it had only been released on the Thursday so that was like the ultimate compliment.” -Paul McCartney via Far Out Magazine 

 

Jimi Hendrix November 27th, 1942 to September 18th, 1970.

William Cameron "Willie" McCool

Naval Captain Willie McCool flew in an electronic warfare squadron based out of NAS Whidbey Island. He and his VAQ-129 Vikings squadron members regularly flew their EA-6B Prowlers over the Cascades and North Central Washington. McCool’s exceptional naval career led him to become a test plot and a pilot for NASA.

Willie only flew on one Space Shuttle mission. I’ll never forget the morning of February 1st, 2003 - space shuttle Columbia did not survive earth re-entry - an accident that claimed the lives of all seven souls on board.

McCool is buried at Grand View Cemetery in Anacortes, where he most likely lived as a naval aviator, serving our nation—William Cameron McCool September 23rd, 1961 to February 1st, 2003.

Chief Seattle

He was a leader of the indigenous people of the Salish Sea, known today as Puget Sound. When settlers arrived in waves, he was the right leader for his Duwamish and Suquamish peoples. His iconic speech of accommodation to white settlers was one of the most iconic moments in Washington State History.  Chief Seattle rests at the Suqamish Memorial Cemetery in Suquamish, Washington.

...One thing we know. Our God is the same God. This earth is precious to Him. Even the white man cannot be exempt from the common destiny. We may be brothers, after all. We shall see. -Chief Seattle via the University of Washington

Chief Seattle August 1786 to June 7th, 1866.

One iconic Washingtonian famously does not have a gravesite: Kurt Cobain

His time with the Seattle band Nirvana brought raw emotion with Beatlesque and punk influences. When songs from the Nevermind album hit the radio airwaves in 1991, it reshaped rock music.

I still get goosebumps thinking about Nirvana’s January 11th, 1992 appearance on SNL.

That night, they performed “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Territorial Pissings.” After his death on April 5th, 1994, Kurt Cobain was never buried in the traditional sense. Fans often visit unofficial memorial sites, such as his former home in Seattle at 171 Lake Washington Blvd East, where a bench in nearby Viretta Park has become an informal tribute spot.

His body was cremated.

Kurt Cobain's family divided and scattered his ashes in multiple locations. Daughter Frances Bean Cobain spread some in McLane Creek in Olympia—the exact spot remains private. 

Other ashes were scattered in the Wishkah River near his childhood home in Aberdeen, Washington.

Kurt Cobain Feb 20th, 1967 to Apr 5th, 1994