Gaming Memorials - When Death Becomes A Reality Online

Gamers

Game Cemetery

There are an estimated 300-million gamers online in the world today.  And anything can happen in an alternative world; even death can become a reality. 

Gamers Convention

Although players may never have met, they still share a social life within the game, develop complicated and lasting relationships, and learn to care for their own. When a fellow gamer dies, the most human desire to memorialize them occurs.

Over 900-million online games exist, and many of these game designers allow for the development of grave stone monuments and memorials. In the massively multiplayer online (MMO) game, World of Warcraft (WoW), the deaths of players have been memorialized since the game’s release in 2004. The way the gaming world handles real life death allows us a look into how society may respond to death, on the internet, in the future.

Michel Koiter

In WoW, the Shrine of the Fallen Warrior is a memorial to nineteen-year-old Michel Koiter.  Koiter worked for Blizzard Entertainment as an illustrator on World of Warcraft.  He died of heart failure during the game’s development in 2004.

Shrine of the Fallen Warrior

Spirit Healer

The Shrine of the Fallen Warrior memorial is a stone monument, inscribed with the letters MK, located on top of a mountain.  There, the body of an Orc warrior is laid to rest. A spirit healer floats above the warrior’s body. The Orc warrior was the beta character that Michel played during the first test phases of the game.

In honor of Michel Koiter and his WoW persona, his twin brother, Rene Koiter, wrote the following poem:

Shrine of the Fallen Warrior in World of WarCraft

Where once a hero set foot on his native soil a monument has risen

Where now part of his essence resides a mystical boon will be given

Upon the monument the runic initials MK have been engraved

To honor all the journeys and battles the fallen one has braved

A hero’s enduring spirit transcends many worlds beyond our own

Only those with steadfast dedication find a bond with this unknown

Travel the continents and scour the lands for the shrine standing tall

For in the presence of the monolith the warrior will be with you all

~Rene Koiter

Development Team

Jesse Morals Marker

Another Blizzard employee, Jesse Morales also died while the game was being created. A headstone, inscribed with the epitaph, “In loving memory of Jesse Morales”, was created and placed in a village cemetery in the game.  

Ezra & Micah Chatterton

Then there is the story of Ezra Chatterton. After a devastating house fire that left the family with nothing, Ezra’s father, Micah took some of the insurance money and purchased a computer and subscription to World of Warcraft for his son.  The game became something for them to do together – a way to bond.

Blizzard Headquarters

In 2007, Ezra was diagnosed with a brain tumor.  He told the Make-A-Wish Foundation that he wanted to visit the headquarters of Blizzard Entertainment, designers of World of Warcraft.  The Blizzard team brought the father and son to their Irvine offices and put Ezra on the development team for the day. 

Ahab Wheathoof

Kyle

During his seven-hour visit, Ezra designed a weapon, a quest, and a non-player character named Ahab Wheathoof, and his dog, Kyle. (Ezra’s dog was named Kyle.)  Ezra then provided the voice for several phrases Ahab Wheathoof says. Wheathoof is one of only a few characters in the game that has a voice. Ezra was the first person outside of the company to be allowed to create a character.

On October 20, 2008, Ezra died. The gaming community reacted by organizing an online gaming event to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Ezra’s honor. Over 1,000 players responded.  The server crashed and the event was cancelled, but Ezra's spirit will live on in the game.

Benghazi Raid

On September 11, 2012, the U.S. Consulate was attacked in Benghazi, Libya.  Gamer and Foreign Service Information Management Officer, Sean Smith died in the raid.

Sean Smith

Smith was well known for his diplomacy skills for the U.S. government, and in the game EVE Online.  An enthusiastic gamer, Smith was known as “Vile Rat” in the EVE community. 

The Iceland-based game developer, CCP (Crowd Control Productions) created EVE Online as a player-driven massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). (EVE Online has over 500,000 subscribers.)

Sean Smith & His Avatar Vile Rat

Smith, or Vile Rat, was a member of the EVE Online Guild Goonswarm.  He acted as a senior guild diplomat. Many players say he actually shaped the way the politics work in EVE Online. Smith was well known and well respected in the gaming community.

Smith was in contact with EVE players just before the raid, sending a message, which said, ”Assuming we don’t die tonight. We saw one of our ‘police’ that guard the compound taking pictures.”  Smith was remembered in a tribute on the EVE online community as “one of the best and most effective diplomats this game has ever seen.”

An actual memorial for Sean was discussed but gamers decided that the player-made tributes and remembrances were more in keeping with the spirit of the game.  The EVE Online community held a fiery tribute for Sean on September 15th.

In the end, it doesn’t matter if the memorial is in a game or in a cemetery.  What does matter is being able to pay tribute to someone special.   In this life and the gaming life, it's about finding a way to honor those we feel have left the game too soon.  

~ Joy


Thanks to Charles Kivlehen for encouraging this post.

Neptune Society Memorial Reef – A City of the Dead

Archways in the City

Just three miles off the coast of Key Biscayne, Florida, lay a mystical underwater world – A recreation of Atlantis, the Lost City.  But this Atlantis is a destination for marine life, scuba divers, and the dead. 

One of Two Lions

Also known as the Atlantis Memorial Reef, or the Atlantis Reef, the Memorial Reef began in 2007 when the Neptune Society decided to create a ‘replica’ of the Lost City of Atlantis.  The Reef is located 40 feet below the ocean’s surface and was originally designed as an artistic project.  The focus of the venture soon changed and it was developed into the world’s first underwater “cemetery”, actually a cremation memorial park.

Diagram of Finished Reef

Entrance Gates

Although technically not a cemetery, the Memorial Reef does contain the cremains of over 200 people, with room for another 600 during the first phase.  The goal of the society is to eventually provide a resting place for over 125,000 remains that will spread over 16 acres of ocean floor.

Diver Places Cremains on Reef

Ashes Mixed with Cement in a Mold

The Neptune Society, the largest cremation-only provider in the U.S., takes cremated remains and mixes them with cement before placing them in a mold. Once the mold is formed, the shaped piece is then taken down to the City and placed on the Reef with a memorial plaque.  There, the molds become a permanent part of the ever-changing man-made reef.

A Diver Visits

A Stairway

The Memorial Reef opened in 2007.  It is the largest man-made reef in the world.  Statues, gates, columns, benches, and roads make up the underwater city. Divers, researchers, marine biologists, and students are encouraged to visit the area, but fishing and lobstering are not allowed here.

A marine study conducted in the area reports that the Memorial Reef is developing faster than originally expected, and is attracting a multitude of marine life.

 

Molded Memorials

The Memorial Reef is a natural green burial option, certified by the Green Burial Council.  The Reef promotes coral and marine organism growth, thus allowing you to become part of the underwater ecosystem.  Placement on the Reef begins around $2,000.

To learn more about the Neptune Society Memorial Reef, visit their web page @ http://www.neptunesociety.com/memorial-reef.

To visit the Reef in person, the GPS coordinates are N25º 42.036', W80º 05.409'.  The Memorial Reef is free and open to the public.

~ Joy

 

*Photos from the Neptune Society Memorial Reef webpage and Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/NeptuneMemorialReef?ref=ts&fref=ts

Grave Robbery of the Famous

Grave Robbers

Ransom Note

Grave robbing, also known as tomb raiding, is when a grave or tomb is opened for the purpose of stealing artifacts or personal objects buried with the deceased.  And, there are times, when the grave is robbed for the actual remains, usually to demand and collect a ransom with.

Alexander T Stewart

St. Mark's

In April 1876, the body of one of the richest men in New York was stolen.  Multi-millionaire Alexander Turney Stewart’s body was stolen from his crypt, just three weeks after his interment at St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery in New York City.

Personal Ads

For two years, the grave robber, who went by the name Romaine, communicated with the Stewart family’s liaison though obscure personal ads placed in the New York Herald.

Ransom

Terms were finally agreed upon and the ransom amount was set at $20,000.  At an undisclosed location, the body was exchanged for the specified ransom amount.  No one was ever apprehended for the grave robbery.   

Episcopal Cathedral of the Incarnation

A positive identification of the body was never made, but the returned remains were entombed in a new vault in the Episcopal Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City, Long Island.

President Lincoln in his Coffin

There was an attempt to steal President Abraham Lincoln’s body in 1876 and hold it for ransom.  Members of a counterfeiter's gang attempted to steal Lincoln’s body from his tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery on November 7, 1876.  The plan was to take Lincoln’s remains and hide them in the sand dunes of northern Indiana until a ransom of $200,000 was paid.  The gang was also going to demand the release of one of their members from prison.

State Prison at Joliet, Illinois

Lincoln's Tomb

However, a police informant who had infiltrated the gang let the secret service know of the plan. Eight detectives rushed the tomb that night, but the grave robbers got away.  All were arrested within a few days and convicted of attempted grave robbing.  All were given a sentence of one year in the Illinois State Prison at Joliet.

Inside Lincoln's Tomb

Lincoln was reburied in his mausoleum, but reportedly not in the casket.  In 1901, Robert Todd Lincoln had his father’s remains disinterred and placed inside a steel cage that was buried 10 feet beneath the floor of his tomb.  The cage was then encased in 4,000 pounds of concrete so that it could not be opened again.

 

Charlie Chaplin

Chaplin's Grave

Two grave robbers took the coffin of silent film star, Charlie Chaplin, just months after his death.  Chaplin had died on Christmas day, 1977, and was buried in the Vevey Cemetery in the village of Corsier, Switzerland. 

Robbing a Grave

The grave robbers dug up his casket in March 1978, and sent a photo of the coffin to Chaplin’s widow along with a demand for £400,000 ($650,000 US.)  Oona Chaplin refused to pay.  The robbers then threatened Chaplin’s youngest children.

Officials caught the two men after an intense surveillance operation in May. Roman Wardas was sentenced to 4 and a half years in prison. Accomplice Gantcho Ganev received a suspended sentence.

Chaplin's Coffin

Police located Chaplin’s coffin buried in a nearby cornfield.  Chaplin was reburied in his grave– under several feet of reinforced concrete.

Presley's Funeral

Elvis Presley

Just days after the death of Elvis Presley, there were rumors that a group of men planned to steal his body, and hold it for a ransom of $10-million.  Presley had been buried next to his mother in a mausoleum at Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee.

Graceland

Presley's Grave

Police confronted three men they found hanging around the Presley Mausoleum after dark. Since they had no tools with them, officials let them go. Elvis’s grave, along with his mothers, was moved to the Meditation Garden at Graceland, Presley’s home.  The graves are now monitored by security 24-hours a day.

Whitney Houston

Houston's Casket

After the death of Whitney Houston in February 2012, round-the-clock armed security guards were placed at her grave.  Houston was reportedly buried wearing over half-a-million dollars worth of jewelry and clothing.  Her casket was said to be gold-lined and worth tens of thousands of dollars.

Fairview Cemetery

The Fairview Cemetery, in Westfield, New Jersey was closed to all but lot owners after Houston’s burial. Officials attempted to limit the crowds and keep security in place.  One year later, Houston's grave is guarded 24 hours a day by foot patrol, and there is talk of encasing her casket in concrete.

Johann Strauss

Johannes Brahms

And the latest case of grave robbing involves a Slovak man, who claimed last summer that he had robbed the graves of classical composers Johann Strauss and Johannes Brahms – of their teeth. Ondrej Jajcaj supposedly dug up both graves in the Viennese Central Cemetery to get teeth from each of the composers in order to start a museum. He claims to have robbed other hundreds of other graves of skulls and personal effects to also put in his museum.

Strauss' Grave

Brahms' Grave

Austrian police began investigating the claims last May and discovered that indeed, the teeth had been removed from the musicians. If convicted, Jajcaj could face 6 months to ten years in prison.

Although you might assume that grave robbing doesn't happen much anymore, it appears that it is still something to be concerned about - even in the highly electronic world of the 21^st Century.

~ Joy