Cobb's Funeral Letter
"He was a humorist till the last.."
Cobb's cremated remains lie under this bolder in
Oak Grove Cemetary in Paducah.
Click here to check out Cobb's Find A Grave profile
When Irvin Cobb died at the age of 67, the world lost a great humorist, journalist, and author. Especially, Paducah was in a state of sadness over the death of Irvin S. Cobb who was born in this city and who never, even in his moments of greatest glory, claimed to be anything but a Paducahan. Cobb died on March 10, 1944 at his apartment in the Hotel Sheraton in New York after a long illness. The day he died, Edwin J. Paxton Sr., editor and publisher of the Sun-Democrat (now The Paducah Sun), took from a locked safe an unopened letter from Cobb.
Paxton opened the letter and he read the famous words from Cobb detailing instructions for his funeral and burial services, and tell, as only Cobb could, some of his thoughts about life and death in general.
The letter to Mr. Paxton was published in its entirety around the world. Later it was printed in pamphlet form and for many years after the Sun-Democrat would give out these pamphlets upon request.
Below is Cobb's famous last letter. To download a copy of the letter in PDF format please click here.