David Goodall: Scientist who took own life at 104 will not be having a funeral
The world-renowned Australian scientist who travelled to Switzerland to die by assisted suicide insisted that he did not want a funeral before he passed away at aged 104.
Dr David Goodall died at the suicide clinic in Liestal, near Basel, Switzerland, at 11.30am on Thursday morning, surrounded by family and friends.
His final words were “This is taking an awful long time”, just before a lethal dose of a sleeping drug entered his body.
In accordance with his final wishes, Beethoven's Ode to Joy played on an iPad, before Dr Goodall died two minutes later.
He instructed there be no ceremony held for him because he did not believe in an afterlife.
Dr Goodall also requested that his body be donated to medicine and, if that was not possible, that his ashes be sprinkled “locally”.
Dr Goodall spent his last day touring the Basel University Botanical Gardens with three of his grandchildren.
At night, he enjoyed a final supper of his favourite meal fish and chips and cheesecake with family and friends.
Dr Philip Nitschke who was by Dr Goodall’s side in his last moments told Mail Online: “It is the first time I have heard someone say it’s taking a long time when the drug is intravenous, but David was quite impatient for it to be over.”
He added: “He was told it would be a peaceful death and it was. He had his sense of humour right up to the end. He was very pleased to hear the music.
“It was a wonderful experience to know him and be so intimately involved in his final weeks of life. Especially after David’s 20 odd years of membership of Exit International.”
Before the drug was administered, Dr Goodall was asked four questions by a doctor overseeing the procedure.
Dr Goodall was asked to say his name, his date of birth and why he was at the clinic. On the final question he was asked what would happen to him, he replied: “I hope my heart stops.”
There was a slight hiccup in the procedure when the Dr Goodall was unable to operate a wheel that would send the lethal drug into his body. He could not twist the wheel, so doctors gave him a switch to flick.
As soon as the switch was flicked, Ode to Joy began playing in the room. Dr Goodall closed his eyes and was certified dead by a doctor.
Dr Goodall will be cremated in Switzerland and his ashes flown back to his family in Perth, Australia.