Donna Meade Dean Says Jimmy Dean Will be Buried in Piano Shaped Mausoleum
June 15th, 2010 - 9:13 pm ICT by Angela Kaye Mason
June 15 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Jimmy Dean, sausage king, songwriter, singer and overall charmer will be laid to rest in a public farewell service on Sunday and Monday in an eight hour visitation and open funeral. The much loved American passed away Sunday in his Varina home at the age of 81 from natural causes.
In a press statement made by his wife, Donna Meade Dean,to ‘WTVR-TV in Richmond’ she simply told the world, “I definitely need my privacy right now, and am not available for interviews. “My husband died of natural causes, and funeral services are pending.”
Those services have now been decided, and Jimmy Dean will be laid to rest in a piano shaped mausoleum, which he had designed several years ago, according to his widow. She stated that they had ordered the 9 and a half foot long tomb, which is shaped like a grand piano, for $350,000 several years ago.
Since there is only room for one casket in the mausoleum, Donna told Jimmy that he could “have me cremated and put me in your pocket“ if he went first. She still plans to be cremated and placed with the love of her life after she passes on.
“He was the most special human being I’ve ever known,“ Donna Dean said. “He had the best wit of anyone I ever knew. We made each other laugh. He was the man of my dreams. I always dreamed of marrying a long, tall Texan, handsome, a man in the music industry who would understand what I did because I was an entertainer when I met him.“
The grand piano resting place will have the dates of Dean’s birth and death, his name, and the inscription, “Here lies one hell of a man.” It is a quote from his No. 1 hit song from 1961,”Big John” which tells the story of a huge miner who is strong enough that he holds up the roof of a collapsing mine, in order to let everyone else escape. He loses his life in the story, saving his co workers. The song ends with the lyrics, “at the bottom of this mine lies one hell of a man, Big John.“
Visitation will be held Sunday, June 20, from noon until 8 pm at Nelsen Funeral Home, 4650 Laburnum Ave. The funeral services will be held at 11 am Monday June 21 at Grove Ave Baptist Church, 8701 Ridge Road. He will be laid to rest in his piano mausoleum, at his Chaffin’s Bluff home, overlooking the James River.
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Tags: birth and death, casket, co workers, dean, donna dean, donna meade, farewell service, funeral services, grand piano, jimmy dean sausage, laugh, man of my dreams, mausoleum, music industry, resting place, richmond, sausage king, songwriter, wife donna, wit