Hunter S. Thompson Family Speaks Out

Posted on August 8, 2005

Hunter S. Thompson's family finally speaks out to the Rocky Mountain News about Thomson's suicide and his planned funeral, in which his ashes will be shot out of a cannon in a private memorial service orchestrated by Johnny Depp and a Hollywood special effects team. Juan Thompson, son of Hunter S. Thompson, talked about the unusual funeral and his father's death.

"This is an unusual way to have your ashes spread, and it's a large gathering because (my father) knew a lot of people," his only son said, referring to the use of a 153-foot "cannon" to scatter the writer's ashes and the some 300 invited guests. "But what it comes down to is this is saying goodbye to my dad's ashes."

"This is the last time that all of his friends are going to be getting together to say goodbye to him - and that does not mean it's all going to be weeping and gnashing of teeth, but it's going to be sad because from here on out, we're going to have to come to terms in our own way with the fact that he's gone."

"He is not Duke in Doonesbury. He's not a cartoon character. He's not a drug-addled guy wandering around Las Vegas," Juan Thompson said. "Primarily, he's a serious guy, a writer, and someone concerned about the Constitution."

The funeral is scheduled to go forward on August 20, 2005. Juan Thompson said family and friends will then work on the Hunter S. Thompson Foundation which will assist writers.

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