Menu
Search by Name
Search by Name
Add a Memory
Make a Donation
Jack Kevorkian Obituary
Kevorkian, who said he helped some 130 people end their lives from 1990 to 1999, died about 2:30 a.m. at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, close friend and prominent attorney Mayer Morganroth said. He had been hospitalized since last month with pneumonia and kidney problems.
An official cause of death had not been determined, but Morganroth said it likely will be pulmonary thrombosis.
"I had seen him earlier and he was conscious," said Morganroth, who added that the two spoke about Kevorkian's pending release from the hospital and planned start of rehabilitation. "Then I left and he took a turn for the worst and I went back."
Nurses at the hospital played record ings of classical music by composer Johann Sebastian Bach for Kevorkian before he died, Morganroth said.
Kevorkian was freed in June 2007 after serving eight years of a 10- to 25-year sentence for second-degree murder. His lawyers had said he suffered from hepatitis C, diabetes and other problems, and he had promised in affidavits that he would not assist in a suicide if he was released.
In 2008, he ran for Congress as an independent, receiving just 2.7 percent of the vote in the suburban Detroit district. He said his experience showed the party system was "corrupt" and "has to be completely overhauled from the bottom up."
His life story became the subject of the 2010 HBO movie, "You Don't Know Jack," which earned actor Al Pacino Emmy and Golden Globe Awards for his portrayal of Kevorkian. Pacino paid tribute to Kevorkian during his Emmy acceptance speech and recognized the world-famous former doctor, who sat smiling in the audience.
Pacino said during the speech that it was a pleasure to "try to portray someone as brilliant and interesting and unique" as Kevorkian and a "pleasure to know him."
Kevorkian himself said he liked the movie and enjoyed the attention it generated, but told The Associated Press that he doubted it would inspire much action by a new generation of assisted-suicide advocates.
"You'll hear people say, 'Well, it's in the news again, it's time for discussing this further.' No it isn't. It's been discussed to death," he said. "There's nothing new to say about it. It's a legitimate ethical medical practice as it was in ancient Rome and Greece."
Eleven years earlier, he was sentenced in the 1998 death of a Lou Gehrig's disease patient - a videotaped death shown to a national television audience as Kevorkian challenged prosecutors to charge him.
"The issue's got to be raised to the level where it is finally decided," he said on the broadcast by CBS' "60 Minutes."
Nicknamed "Dr. Death" because of his fascination with death, Kevorkian catapulted into public consciousness in 1990 when he used his homemade "suicide machine" in his rusted Volkswagen van to inject lethal drugs into an Alzheimer's patient who sought his help in dying.
For nearly a decade, he escaped authorities' efforts to stop him. His first four trials, all on assisted suicide charges, resulted in three acquittals and one mistrial.
Murder charges in earlier cases were thrown out because Michigan at the time had no law against assisted suicide; the Legislature wrote one in response to Kevorkian. He also was stripped of his medical license.
People who died with his help suffered from cancer, Lou Gehrig's disease, multiple sclerosis, paralysis. They died in their homes, an office, a Detroit island park, a remote cabin, the back of Kevorkian's van.
Kevorkian likened himself to Martin Luther King and Gandhi and called prosecutors Nazis, his critics religious fanatics. He burned state orders against him, showed up at court in costume, called doctors who didn't support him "hypocritic oafs" and challenged authorities to stop him or make his actions legal.
"Somebody has to do something for suffering humanity," Kevorkian once said. "I put myself in my patients' place. This is something I would want."
Devotees filled courtrooms wearing "I Back Jack" buttons. But critics questioned his publicity-grabbing methods, aided by his flamboyant attorney Geoffrey Fieger until the two parted ways before his 1999 trial.
"I think Kevorkian played an enormous role in bringing the physician-assisted suicide debate to the forefront," Susan Wolf, a professor of law and medicine at University of Minnesota Law School, said in 2000.
"It sometimes takes a very outrageous individual to put an issue on the public agenda," she said, and the debate he engendered "in a way cleared public space for more reasonable voices to come in."
Even so, few states have approved physician-assisted suicide. Laws went into effect in Oregon in 1997 and Washington state in 2009, and a 2009 Montana Supreme Court ruling effectively legalized the practice in that state.
In a rare televised interview from prison in 2005, Kevorkian told MSNBC he regretted "a little" the actions that put him there.
"It was disappointing because what I did turned out to be in vain. ... And my only regret was not having done it through the legal system, through legislation, possibly," he said.
Kevorkian's ultimate goal was to establish "obitoriums" where people would go to die. Doctors there could harvest organs and perform medical experiments during the suicide process. Such experiments would be "entirely ethical spinoffs" of suicide, he wrote in his 1991 book "Prescription: Medicide - The Goodness of Planned Death."
His road to prison began in September 1998, when he videotaped himself injecting Thomas Youk, a 52-year-old Lou Gehrig's disease patient, with lethal drugs. He gave the tape to "60 Minutes."
Two months later, a national television audience watched Youk die and heard Kevorkian say of authorities: "I've got to force them to act." Prosecutors quickly responded with a first-degree murder charge.
Kevorkian acted as his own attorney for most of the trial. He told the court his actions were "a medical service for an agonized human being."
In his closing argument, Kevorkian told jurors that some acts "by sheer common sense are not crimes."
"Just look at me," he said. "Honestly now, do you see a criminal? Do you see a murderer?"
The U.S. Supreme Court twice turned back appeals from Kevorkian, in 2002, when he argued that his prosecution was unconstitutional, and in 2004, when he claimed he had ineffective representation.
In an interview at the time Kevorkian was released from prison, Youk's brother Terrence said his brother received "a medical service that wa s requested and, from my point of view, compassionately provided by Jack. It should not be a crime."
But Tina Allerellie became a fierce critic after her 34-year-old sister, Karen Shoffstall, turned to Kevorkian in 1997. She said in 2007 that Shoffstall, who suffered from multiple sclerosis, was struggling with depression and fear but could have lived for years longer.
"(Kevorkian's) intent, I believe, has always been to gain notoriety," Allerellie said.
Born in 1928, in the Detroit suburb of Pontiac, Kevorkian graduated from the University of Michigan's medical school in 1952 and became a pathologist.
Kevorkian said he first became interested in euthanasia during his internship year when he watched a middle-aged woman die of cancer. She was so emaciated, her sagging, discolored skin "covered her bones like a cheap, wrinkled frock," Kevorkian wrote.
After building a suicide device in 1989 from parts he found in flea markets, he sought his first a ssisted-suicide candidate by placing advertisements in local newspapers. Newspaper and TV interviews brought more attention.
On June 4, 1990, he drove his van to a secluded park north of Detroit. After Janet Adkins, 54, of Portland, Ore., met him there, he inserted a needle into her arm and, when she was ready, she flipped the switch that released a lethal flow of drugs.
He later switched from his device to canisters of carbon monoxide, again insisting patients took the final step by removing a clamp that released the flow of deadly gas to the face mask.
Kevorkian's fame - or notoriety - made him fodder for late-night comedians' monologues and sitcoms. His name became cultural shorthand for jokes about hastening the end of life.
Even admirers couldn't resist. Adam Mazer, the Emmy-winning writer for "You Don't Know Jack," got off one of the best lines of the 2010 Emmy telecast.
"I'm grateful you're my friend," Mazer said, looking out at Kevorkian. "I'm even more grateful you're not my physician."
When asked in 2010 how his own epitaph should read, Kevorkian said it should reflect what he believes to be his "real virtue."
"I am quite honest. I have trouble lying. I don't like people who lie."
Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press
Memories and Condolences
for Jack Kevorkian
232 Entries
Mercado family The Bronx
April 6, 2025
Rest in Paradise
Jessie Enfield
October 9, 2011
I never realized what a hero Jack really was until I recently chose him to do a research project for school.I chose him because last year I watched my mother suffer for many days before she died from MS. As hard as it was to watch my mother suffer for days I do not want to imagine how horrible it was for her.From all that I have read and all the videos I have watched this man had a mission ney a calling to aid those that are suffering. I hope that If I ever came to point where I wanted to end my pain and suffering I truely hope that there is someone like Jack there to help me. God Bless you Jack.
Julie "InYourFaceNewYorker"
June 11, 2011
It is a great regret that Dr. Kevorkian's is a hand I will never get to shake. He was supposed to do a book tour in NYC in the fall, and I was looking forward to meeting him. I wanted to tell him how much I admired him, for his fierce independence more than anything else. He was a true individual who marched to the beat of his own drum-- if it was indeed a drum he heard. Here is my tribute to him: http://inyourfacenewyorker.blogspot.com/2011/06/dr-jack-kevorkian-dead-at-83-52628-6311.html
Susan H
June 7, 2011
Rest in Peace Doctor. You did such a wonderful service to those that needed you.
Jeanne Laird
June 7, 2011
Dear Jack, as a person who has worked as both a Chaplain for a Level I Trauma Center and a Police Chaplain I applaud your life's work. I have always admired you for your compassion, tenacity and willingness to do 'whatever it takes' for what you believed in. You paved the way for many of us to follow. In this aging population, I believe you had more support than you knew, but people are afraid to let their views be known, because Euthanasia has never been seen as politically or religiously correct. If you took a poll I think you would be quite surprised. My only regret is that you won't be around when my end of life comes. Gentle blessings to you always. I look forward to meeting you someday!
Elizabeth Carter
June 7, 2011
With age I have come to know what you are all about. I wish that you may rest in peace and know there are many people who could have used your help.
Diane Rogers
June 7, 2011
People don't realize until they've watched helplessly as a loved one suffers for years after a stroke. Medical procedures at the end of life actually prolong suffering with feeding tubes, respirators, etc. Dr. Kevorkian was very courageous to speak out on such a controversial subject and endure prison for what he thought was right.
Barbara Wood
June 7, 2011
Those of us who have witnessed the suffering of a loved one applaud Dr. Jack's efforts. He was a hero--a brave man truly ahead of his time.
peggy Roberts-Wetmore
June 7, 2011
God Bless you doctor.
Peggy ,RN
A. R.
June 7, 2011
A lot of people respected your work and conviction to help people die on their terms and with dignity. Every terminal ill person and people living with dire pain should have the right to make this tough decision. You did the right thing. Am just sorry that you had to spend time in jail and suffer needlessly. R.I.P. brave one.
June 6, 2011
Dr. Kevorkian will always be remembered as a hero to those who are left to suffer and the law of man leaves to ignore. He played an enormous role in bringing the physician-assisted suicide debate to the forefront. God bless him and send comfort to those closest to him.
Steve Helm, Salt Lake City, Utah
J Chamberlain
June 6, 2011
The world is a better place because of him. He was a courageous man who fought for the terminally ill's right to die with dignity, peace, and comfort. May you rest in peace and know that you left your mark in this world.
Shelly an RN
June 6, 2011
Because of you the future will change for the better. I am sorry for all you went though, it wasn't for nothing. You were a patient advocate, for those who were suffering. Thank you.
Rebecca Smith
June 6, 2011
Rest in peace... You were there for those who willing to end their life to suffer no more. Now it's your turn God Bless You & Keep you in his loving arms...
Sam Thompson
June 6, 2011
Over the years there has been much said about Dr. Jack--I honestly believe in what he did by helping so many people. It is a shame that others could not find the good in what he did. When you look at the stars and see the brightest one that will be his. He was and now will always be an angel looking over everyone. God bless you Dr. Jack!!
June 6, 2011
I remember Dr. kevorkian when I was younger and always said I can understand that those that sought him out for help in ending their quality of life as they had come to know it . He allow them to go in peace and meet their maker. God only knows and I 'm sure he is at peace! verna derkson
N Hawn
June 6, 2011
Dr. Jack was one of the nicest people I ever met. There wasn't a mean bone in that man's body. It was such a joy to meet him for the first time at Ariana Gallery many years ago (along with Mr. Feiger who at the time was representing him).
Rest in Peace and know you will never be forgotten.
Jim Page
June 6, 2011
My sincere condolences to the family and friends of Dr. Kevorkian. Dr. Kevorkian was a special man who was willing to sacrifice his own freedom to help relieve the suffering of others. Rest In Peace Dr. Kevorkian.
June 6, 2011
God Bless you Dr. Kevorkian. I only wish you could have been there for my loved ones who suffered from cancer. You will always be remembered as a hero. Rest in peace my friend and may God comfort your loved ones.
Together in Christ,
Debbie
June 6, 2011
You will be long remembered by many as a brave man , compassionate,kind and your name will never be forgotten Dr.Jack Kevorkian. Bless you ..
June 6, 2011
My sincere condolences to the family. As the days and weeks pass, and as you return to life's routine, may you continue to feel comforted by the love and support of family and friends. Acts 24:15
John Alexander
June 6, 2011
He may of assisted people, to get into heaven.This is a man, who will need no assistance at all getting into heaven.And my thoughts and prayers go out to family and friends.
Amy, RRT, RCP
June 6, 2011
Dr. Kevorkian was an immensely intelligent, gifted, compassionate and artistically talented man. He was a visionary, generations before his time. He provoked deep thought in many. He was a profound physician, and a true gentleman. His legacy will live on. Godspeed to you, Dr. Kevorkian
Michael Anthony
June 6, 2011
Truly a good man!! A man after my own heart. RIP my friend!
Lysette
June 6, 2011
I will always Back Jack you are an angel on earth and now above.........fly free!
Helen Dunphy
June 6, 2011
My thoughts and prayers go the family and friends. You were ahead of your time in releaving pain and suffering. GOD Bless you.
Cindy Tracy
June 6, 2011
Our thoughts are with Doc. Jack's family at this time of loss,He truly was a great man and will be missed by many who believed in him and what he stood for..R.I.P Doctor Jack as you helped others do...
June 5, 2011
He was a man ahead of his time. A great man who stood up for what he believed in the face of harsh critics.
Lorraine Bopp
June 5, 2011
You were a great man truly ahead of your time. I feel that in time people will look back and wonder how we could have let our terminally ill patients suffer so much for the sake of living a few more days or months. Thank you for all of your efforts to try to help people understand the right to a peaceful death. Perhaps in time, that will happen. Rest in Peace.
June 5, 2011
Good night sweet Prince and flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest.
June 5, 2011
i believe people should die with dignity and you helped them when needed. tkank you
June 5, 2011
Dr. K, I know you would not agree with me, but people like you should never die. The world needs you too much.
Jo
June 5, 2011
Being someone who suffers from extreme chronic pain, I fully understood your message and supported you. You were a pioneer who stood his ground believing so passionately in assisted suicide and opened the eyes of millions of individuals across this vast world of ours. I guarantee within the next 10-20 years, people will realize you were so very right all along...just took them a while to come around. May you rest in peace and know you were supported by so many people you never knew but who supported your views and stood their ground in conversations that took place in social gatherings, work environments, family events, etc.
June 5, 2011
May our Lord bless you and keep you
Gerry
June 5, 2011
Thank you, Dr. Jack, for your courage and compassion. I pray that when my time comes, there is a Dr. Kevorkian for me.
Rest in peace, Dr. Jack. You were a good man.
Bonnie Henderson
June 5, 2011
Our thoughts and prayers go out to you in this time of sorrow. A greeat man who truly proved love for his felllow man in his actions and deeds. He will be misssed by all.
George Covington
June 5, 2011
Rest in peace Doc..I wish I could have had lunch with you once.....you'll be missed.
Ardith Cordes
June 5, 2011
A man ahead of his time who will be missed by many who also believe in what he
stood for. If animals don't have to suffer then why should people with terminal illnesses??
Kristen Arakelian
June 5, 2011
Sometimes you have to stand alone in a crowd to stand up for what you believe in. You did so with truth dignity and compassion. So many people do not live their truth in fear of what others will think of them. Clearly this did not matter to you. God speed to you. May you and the others you have helped rest in peace.
June 5, 2011
May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow.
Susan Pendleton
June 5, 2011
You are a hero to me, Dr. Kevorkian. Rest well.
Laina B
June 5, 2011
Yes, in my eyes...always a caring and brave man
Maria
June 5, 2011
May you rest in peace and your compassion be realized. You were a kind hearted man, who knew not one size fits all and truly ahead of our times.
CC CC
June 5, 2011
Jack, you were a pioneer and helped alot of people through hardtimes.Something great will become of you,just you wait and see.RIP,SLEEP WALK
michael pappas
June 5, 2011
Certainly ahead of the times. I'm sure in the future a specialist will continue in his behalf and will be well compensated for it.
Martha
June 5, 2011
Thank you Jack, yours was an honest life well lived.
Brian Gibbs
June 5, 2011
A man I will miss and one whom I hope will make a change in our society that will benefit many future Americans. Brian Gibbs, Canaan, NH
June 5, 2011
I met Dr Kevorkian in 2008 at a showing of his artwork, such a warm, kind man. Rest in Peace. L.C. RN
June 5, 2011
A true hero/ Rest in peace..
Jane
June 5, 2011
I sincerely hope you did not suffer pain which is what you dedicated your life to...ending human suffering. I totally believe in what you stood for...no one should have to be in agonizing pain for so long, not to mention your family that has to watch you. We have lost a true humanitarian. I wish you would be there when it comes my time. RIP!
Teresa Allen
June 5, 2011
You were ahead of your time and a hero to many. There are many like you that feel that the person should have the last say so about their deaths, not doctors and judges. You were brillant beyond compare. You will be missed. May you rest in peace mine and many peoples friend.
Elaine Suranie
June 5, 2011
My sympathies to the family. I am grateful to Dr. Kevorkian for bringing the conversation for the right to choose your own death to the national and international consciousness. Everyone who comes after him will have an easier time of it than those who went before. He was a compassionate realist who had the courage to help people who no one else would. To hear their pleas when no one else did. He was a man ahead of his time.
Bonnie Rionda
June 5, 2011
We will not pass away until it's our time. Dr. Kevorkian was insightful enough to recognize that, and brave enough to help people end their suffering. I am sad that his time was now. Rest in Peace, Dr. Kevorkian. Your compassionate caring will be greatly missed.
Carol Kohn
June 5, 2011
Oh Jack! You were my HERO! Several times I asked my Dr. to refer me to you for a second opinion! Rest in peace, no more judging of a man who only wanted to help relieve the pain of the people.
June 4, 2011
He stood behind what he believed in.RIP Dr.Kevorkian.
Barb
June 4, 2011
He had so much compassion for human suffering that it went beyond the scope of what many people could even comprehend. In modern society the Nederlands (Holland) is the only country I am currently aware of that has humane euthanasia, what a pity we allow our sick and eldery to suffer horrific pain both physical and mental. You are revered Dr. Kevokian by all those who understood your battle to save so many from agonizing sojourns to death. Rest in peace.
Debra
June 4, 2011
RIP Dr.Kevorkian...Thank you for caring for the termianlly ill pt's.
June 4, 2011
We have lost a man who was not only brilliant, but compassionate. He was ahead of his time.
Emmy, Fairfield, Connecticut
Kathi Boldt-Haberek R.N.
June 4, 2011
Dr Jack Kevorkian, a man who was instrumental in CARING for the termianlly ill patient. Unfortunately, ahead of his time and not received well by some, but for those of us who see, feel, and hear the suffering of termianl illness we recognize his mission and applaud him for it. May God rest your beautiful soul and find another to continue your legacy.
Respectfully and sorrowfully written,
Kathi A. Boldt-Haberek R.N.
Terri Ogden
June 4, 2011
You are a true American Hero, Dr Kevorkian. Rest in Peace
Lisa
June 4, 2011
So sorry to hear of the loss of Dr Kevorkain. He was such a brave man.
Diggs Family
June 4, 2011
My thoughts and prayers to the family of Dr Kevorkian. Perhaps a very misunderstood man in his lifetime.He stood behind what he believed in. He did it his way. God bless you Dr. RIP
Janey Snyder
June 4, 2011
In memory of a true medical pioneer who truly practiced compassionate care.
shirley
June 4, 2011
Much Love and Respect to Dr. Kevorkian such a good man, a true angel of mercy.
brianna torres
June 4, 2011
jack-----your courage was enourmous...but nothing could ever be as big as your compassion for the ill. As a patient advocate myself....you were truely an inspiration!!! brianna torres, lansing mi
June 4, 2011
While he was imprisoned as a criminal, he always believed that the right to die was a legal and cherished action. I think he indirectly helped highlight hospice, extending peace to those dying.
jeanne simpson
June 4, 2011
So sorry for your loss. Dr. K was a true pioneer. I wish there were more people like him.
Suzanna Ellis
June 4, 2011
I was incredibly sad to hear that Dr Kevorkian passed away. He did an amazing service to the sick and dying. When my Granny was dying of terminal cancer and she went to a specialist, he asked her "Who is your primary care doctor?" and she replied "Dr Kevorkian" with a laugh. She knew she was dying. I saw her wither away in a hospice bed, in immense pain, with so many drugs in her system she didn't even know who was there. No one could predict when she would actually die - months, years(?) in that same horrible state. Luckily she passed incredibly quickly as I would've pulled a "Dr Jack" on her (with my whole family's blessing). This country needs to realize that the sick, depressed and in pain have rights (just like dogs, cats, horses, etc, who are euthanized when they are too sick to be treated). Dr Jack, you will be missed. You were ahead of your time. I truly hope and wish in my lifetime that the laws in the USA will be changed as a legacy to your memory. Rest in peace and know that you planted a seed in this country's mind. You got people thinking of alternatives to suffering and that is always the first step.
Kelly
June 4, 2011
Right now my husband is contemplating moving to Montana. He has Stage IV NSCLC with mets to the aorta...laymans terms, end stage lung cancer. Diagnosed Feb 2011, prognosis 8 months.
Ellisa
June 4, 2011
I'm sure if given the choice, Dr. K would have died at home. Sounds like the nurses made an effort to make his passing as peaceful as possible, playing J.S. Bach music. But that's what nurses do: CARE. RIP.
D Beckett
June 4, 2011
My deepest sympathy goes out to the family. May the words Jesus spoke in John 5:28-29 bring you much comfort.
Charlene Martinez
June 4, 2011
DR. Kevorkian was one of my personal heros. May God welcome him home and may he rest in peace.
L Yee
June 4, 2011
He Will Call (Job 14:13-15)
Life, like a mist, appears for just a day
Then disappears tomorrow.
Atll that we are can quickly fade away,
Replaced with tears and sorrow.
If a man should die, can he live again?
Hear the promise God has made:
He will call: The dead will answer.
They shall live at his command.
For he will have a longing
For the work of his own hand.
So have faith, and do not wonder.
For our God can make us stand.
And we shall life forever.
As the work of his own hand.
Linn
June 4, 2011
Thank you good man.
Kandice
June 4, 2011
Nothing is worse than watching your idol pass away. Jack was my reason for going into law school, and a lot of the reason I help take care of the elderlies in my family instead of putting them in a home. It hurts me to know he died in a hospital and not at home. But I'm so happy to have known of him, and followed his story. A great man that will truely be missed and I cannot wait to pay my respects.
Robin Burlingame
June 4, 2011
Someday, the world will understand What Dr. Jack Kevorkian was about.
We will all need choice at some point in
our lives, and if and when that time comes to me, I hope there will be another Dr. with sooo much empathy as Dr. Kevorkian had.
June 4, 2011
Many mourn his passing. May you be comforted by the hope held out to us in the scriptures. Psalms 37:10, 11 & 29
Dr. M F
June 4, 2011
Treating a patient does not always mean curing a disease. You were a true healer. Rest in peace.
Matthew Kowalski
June 4, 2011
It was nice to know you thanks for fighting for peoples right to live and die happily and comfortably.
Matthew Kowalski
Cindee
June 4, 2011
To the family and fellow supporters of Dr. Kevorkian,
I admired his expertise and far-reaching knowledge as a medical professional. I read his book during the chaotic times he was subjected to by a misunderstanding public--if only others had taken the time to understand his concepts. His assistance was the answer for many who had been failed by traditional medicine that does not always serve the patient best. As a medical professional, I applaud his work at helping those who autonomously chose the manner in which they would experience their inevitable end of life, after all other options were exhausted (many have missed that point of his protocol). Peace be with you, and may your philosophy continue.
Cecelia
June 4, 2011
Jack Kevorkian was a hero! Until one witnesses a loved one suffering, true understanding of his mission may never be achieved. I understand and hope for a future where assisted suicide for the suffering is not a crime but an act of love. Rest in peace Jack, your efforts were not in vain.
Crystal Rogerson
June 4, 2011
May you rest now. Love&Light
Trish
June 4, 2011
You were my hero, Jack. You used compassion and logic to try to fill a real human need. You sacrificed your own life for the betterment of others. How many among us can say the same? Thank you for your bravery - you are a true inspiration.
G C
June 4, 2011
May your thoughts be filled with many wonderful memories.
Barbara Yonkin Bozon
June 4, 2011
Jack, Thank you, thank you, thank you for that you have to done for people who were suffering. You have helped so many, you showed them TRUE kindness and empathy. I ALWAYS had so much ADMIRATION for you and my dream was to one day meet you, to shake your hand and say "Thank you". It broke my heart when I learned of your passing.
You are a great man, dear Jack, the world truly needs more like you. YOU ARE MY HERO! My love and prayers goes to you and your family. May peace be with you...
Merry Hayden
June 4, 2011
Thank you Dr.Jack for everything you held in your heart , everything you taught myself & my family . I will miss you as will so many .
The comfort I will cherish always .
thank you for making such a difference in my life and so many others lives.
thank you for your letters / emails.
Love Merry Hayden
June 4, 2011
My condolences to the Kevorkian's. May the God of all comfort give you the strength to cope during this difficult time. (2 Cor. 1:3,4)
Dawn Furnish
June 4, 2011
Thank you Dr. K, for helping others, and bringing attention for the need of euthanza.
Rhonda Phillips
June 4, 2011
Jack, You were truely an inspiration to so many people. I believe in what you stood for and always will. You helped so many end their suffering and it is sad to know that you were convicted for something that helped so many people in thier time of need. You were truely a great man and I really wish I could have met you. RIP my good man! Love to you always!
Loretta
June 4, 2011
Rest in peace...as you allowed so many others to due.My sincere sympathy to your family.
June 4, 2011
rest in peace
~Melissa. culpeper, virginia
June 4, 2011
I always agreed with Mr. Kevorkian whole heartedly. He never took a life just gave a choice. Hope he had the passing he would have wanted......B. Hankins Galesburg,Il.
Dell McCann
June 4, 2011
Dr. Kevorkian made us think and examine our beliefs. He was truly a man before his time. RIP Dr. Kevorkian. Your compassion for the dying was admirable.
JOHN
June 4, 2011
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMPASSION ALONG WITH BRINGING THIS INCREASING PROBLEM TO NATION'S ATTENTION. YOUR MEMORY, LEGACY AND CONVICTION WILL ONLY INCREASE AS TIME PASSES.
BN
June 4, 2011
RIP Jack. Thank u for all the good you did and brought to families. I know the heartache of ALS / Lou Gehrigs Disease.. and what it does to the patient all to well...
Pat
June 4, 2011
Thank you Doctor Jack. My mom and dad were able to die with dignity because of your work and some smart doctors in NJ. I am sooo glad that they did not have to suffer. I loved both of them dearly ! God Bless You and your work - You will not be forgotten.
cindy p
June 4, 2011
rest in peace. i believed in what you did to help people who were suffering. you where a good man. may god bless your family through this hard time.
louise wisinski
June 4, 2011
God bless you for what you did to help humanity. May you rest in peace.
Janet Taylor
June 4, 2011
Thank you Dr. Kevorkian for all your great work. You opened the eyes and minds of so many people. We need more doctors like you.
Showing 1 - 100 of 232 results
Make a Donation
in Jack Kevorkian's name
How to support Jack's loved ones
Honor a beloved veteran with a special tribute of ‘Taps’ at the National WWI Memorial in Washington, D.C.
The nightly ceremony in Washington, D.C. will be dedicated in honor of your loved one on the day of your choosing.
Read more
Should I Send Sympathy Flowers?
What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?
Read more
What Should I Write in a Sympathy Card?
We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.
Read moreResources to help you cope with loss
Estate Settlement Guide
If you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.
Read more
Obituaries, grief & privacy: Legacy’s news editor on NPR podcast
Legacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.
Read more
The Five Stages of Grief
They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel.
Read moreWays to honor Jack Kevorkian's life and legacy
Obituary Examples
You may find these well-written obituary examples helpful as you write about your own family.
Read more
Obituary Templates – Customizable Examples and Samples
These free blank templates make writing an obituary faster and easier.
Read more
How Do I Write a Eulogy?
Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love.
Read moreMore ways to support the family
Visit the Sympathy Shop
Sponsored