John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette were laid to rest at sea in the Atlantic Ocean off Martha’s Vineyard. Their ashes were committed to the water from the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Briscoe on July 22, 1999; they were not buried in a cemetery.
How and where the ceremony took place
After they were cremated, John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s ashes were committed to the sea aboard USS Briscoe. The Navy’s archival caption identifies the destroyer and says the burial-at-sea ceremony for John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn and her sister Lauren Bessette took place off Martha’s Vineyard on July 22, 1999. Navy archival caption, July 22, 1999.
Contemporary accounts describe the location as the Atlantic Ocean off Martha’s Vineyard. They do not agree on the approximate distance from shore: the Vineyard Gazette reported seven and a half miles off the island’s western end, while the Los Angeles Times put it at about five miles off Martha’s Vineyard. The accounts establish the general location, not a single precise point.
Were they buried in a cemetery?
No. Their remains were cremated and committed to the sea, rather than interred in a cemetery. Lauren Bessette’s ashes were included in the same burial-at-sea ceremony.
#1 Best Overall
Can you visit their grave?
There is no cemetery grave to visit: the reported disposition was at sea off Martha’s Vineyard, not burial in a marked land site.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #3
Rank #2
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
