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Jane Goodall Honored at Washington National Cathedral as DiCaprio Leads Tributes

Speakers urged a renewed commitment to her conservation legacy through youth programs, practical stewardship, institutional support.

Overview

  • An invitation-only funeral on Nov. 12 at Washington National Cathedral placed an urn with Goodall’s ashes before hundreds of mourners.
  • Leonardo DiCaprio delivered a eulogy praising her hopeful approach to environmental action and recalling their years of collaboration.
  • Notable attendees included Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Chris Coons, chef José Andrés and Dr. Francis S. Collins, while Indigenous representatives also offered tributes.
  • The service opened with a therapy-dog honor guard on the cathedral steps, and many mourners carried plush chimpanzees in a nod to her research.
  • Family members, including grandson Merlin van Lawick, spoke, as the Jane Goodall Institute and Roots & Shoots highlighted plans to sustain her work after her Oct. 1 death at 91.