Stars turn out for Stephen Hawking's funeral

World
Europe

‍Film stars, supermodels, comics and astronomers joined Stephen Hawking's family and friends for his funeral in Cambridge Saturday, the city where he dedicated his life's work to unraveling the mysteries of the universe.

The theoretical physicist who captured the imagination of millions around the world died on March 14 at the age of 76.

His death triggered a flood of tributes from Queen Elizabeth II to NASA, reflecting his impact both as a scientist and for his refusal to give up in the face of crippling motor neurone disease.

The hearse containing Professor Stephen Hawking arrives at University Church of St Mary the Great as mourners gather to pay their respects, in Cambridge, March 31, 2018. /AP Photo

Hawking was famously an atheist but his children Lucy, Robert and Tim chose the church of St Mary the Great to say their farewell.

"Our father's life and work meant many things to many people, both religious and non-religious," they said, adding that for that reason the funeral was "both inclusive and traditional, reflecting the breadth and diversity of his life."

Hundreds packed the streets and applauded when Hawking's coffin arrived, carried by six porters from his university college, Gonville and Caius.

White lilies representing the universe and white roses for the polar star were placed on Hawking's oak coffin.

The church bell tolled 76 times, once for each year of his life.

Legacy will live forever

British actor Eddie Redmayne played Stephen Hawking in "The Theory of Everything". /AFP Photo

Actor Eddie Redmayne, who played Hawking in the 2014 bio-pic "The Theory of Everything," read from the Bible at the service attended by around 500 people.

Queen guitarist Brian May, model Lily Cole, comic Dara O Briain and US film producer Barbara Broccoli, known for the James Bond movies, were among the mourners.

"He inspired people with the excitement and importance of pure scientific enquiry and was admired and revered for his devotion, as a scholar, to the pursuit of knowledge," Professor Fay Dowker, a former student, told mourners.

"His influence and legacy will live forever."

English actress Felicity Jones played Stephen Hawking's ex-wife Jane in the film about his life. /AFP Photo

English actress Felicity Jones, who played alongside Redmayne as Jane Hawking in the film, also attended the service.

A thanksgiving service will be held at Westminster Abbey in London on June 15, when Hawking's remains will be buried near the grave of another legendary scientist, Isaac Newton.

Robbed of mobility

Hawking was confined to a wheelchair, almost completely paralyzed and unable to speak except through his trademark voice synthesizer.

He was diagnosed with motor neurone disease at the age of 21 and defied predictions that he would only live for a few years, although his rare condition – amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – gradually robbed him of his mobility.

But the illness did nothing to dull his mind, and Hawking became one of the world's best-known and most inspiring scientists, known for his brilliance and his wit.

His work focused on bringing together relativity – the nature of space and time – and quantum theory – how the smallest particles behave – to explain the creation of the universe and how it is governed.

Hawking as seen as a cartoon character on The Simpsons episode "They Saved Lisa's Brain." /Photo via wikipedia.org

But he was also a global star – his 1988 book "A Brief History of Time" was an unlikely worldwide bestseller, and he appeared as himself in television shows from "The Simpsons" to "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

Source(s): AFP