Featured Funeral: Randy Pausch

Infamous “last lecture” professor Randy Pausch died in July of 2008 from complications of pancreatic cancer. After his cancer diagnoses in 2006, Pausch decided to celebrate the things he had achieved and spend time with the people that he loved. He co-authored The Last Lecture, an autobiography about achieving his dreams, and gave a final lecture at Carnegie Mellon University.

At his Carnegie Mellon memorial service in September nine speakers told stories about how Pausch affected their lives and the University. Over 400 people attended the service, which was broadcasted to numerous classrooms on campus and streamed over the Internet.

Mourners were greeted to the service by a bagpiper in a kilt and a string quartet. Guests found Winnie the Pooh Tigger dolls under their chairs, which were intended to remind them of one of Pausch’s favorite questions to friends, “Are you a Tigger or an Eeyore?” The Dean of Computer Science also showed guests the intended plans for Carnegie Mellon’s Randy Pausch Bridge, which will connect the two buildings on campus that Pausch spent the most time in.