Katharine Hepburn’s Death – Cause and Date
The movie actress Katharine Hepburn died at the age of 96. Here is all you want to know, and more!
Biography - A Short Wiki
Named the greatest actress in Hollywood history by the American Film Institute in 1999, she set a record by winning four Academy Awards for Best Actress for the films The African Queen (1951), Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967), The Lion in Winter (1968) and On Golden Pond (1981).
She married Ludlow Ogden Smith in 1928 and the couple divorced in 1934. She also had relationships with actor Spencer Tracy and entrepreneur and filmmaker Howard Hughes.
Hepburn chose to opt out of motherhood since she wanted to focus on her craft and well-being. “I would have been a terrible mother, because I’m basically a very selfish human being,” the iconic Hollywood star admitted.
Death
Katharine Hepburn passed away on June 29, 2003. When in her eighties Hepburn said “I have no fear of death. Must be wonderful, like a long sleep.”
Shortly after her final screen appearance, Hepburn’s health began to go downhill:
- 1993 (March): She was hospitalized for exhaustion.
- 1996 (winter): She was hospitalized with pneumonia.
- 1997: She had become very weak and was speaking and eating very little. It was feared she would die. She also started to show signs of dementia.
- 2000: She had become a “private person” according to her niece.
- 2001: She was admitted to a hospital for pneumonia and a urinary tract infection.
- 2003 (May): An aggressive tumor was found in Hepburn’s neck. It was decided no medical intervention would be made, probably due to Hepburn’s old age.
- 2003 (June 29): Hebburn passed away at the Hepburn family home in Fenwick, Connecticut.
The actress also suffered from essential tremors, just like her grandfather had, causing her head and sometimes her hands to shake. Essential tremor is less well-known than Parkinson’s disease, but it’s far more common.
What did Katharine Hepburn die from?
The actress died of natural causes at the age of 96, at her home in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Cynthia McFadden, a friend of Hepburn and executor of her estate, said Hepburn died of old age.
How much money did Katharine Hepburn have when she died?
Hepburn had a net worth equal to $30 million at the time of her death after adjusting for inflation.
Memorials
Hepburn specified she did not want any memorials, perhaps an unreasonable request. She was honored with several memorials, among others:
- 1997: The Turtle Bay community in New York City dedicated a garden in her name located in Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza. She had maintained a residence there for over 60 years.
- 2003: The intersection of East 49th Street and 2nd Avenue was renamed “Katharine Hepburn Place”.
- 2006: Bryn Mawr College, the alma mater of Hepburn’s mother launched the Katharine Houghton Hepburn Center in honor of the mother and her daughter.
Did Katharine Hepburn have a funeral?
No funeral was held, per her wishes. She also requested to be cremated, with her ashes interred in the family plot at Cedar Hill Cemetery Association in Hartford.
Quotes
""Life is hard. After all, it kills you."
""My greatest strength is common sense. I'm really a standard brand - like Campbell's tomato soup or Baker's chocolate."
""If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased."
""Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then."
""Acting is the most minor of gifts. After all, Shirley Temple could do it when she was four."