In the April 23, 2025 Print Edition of the New York Times, Journalist Maureen Cavanagh detailed the amazing discovery of the remains of rocket scientist Willy Ley, found in the basement of my apartment building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The outpouring of interest was so great I wanted to capture and detail additional information and document the next chapter in his journey.
If you would like to receive an update on future efforts to honor Willy and his legacy, please leave your email here.
All funds raised will go directly to the American Museum of Natural History in New York, NY to create an educational scholarship in Willy's name.
He Was a Prophet of Space Travel. His Ashes Were Found in a Basement.
by Maureen Cavanagh
During his life, Willy Ley predicted the dawn of the Space Age with remarkable accuracy. How did his remains end up forgotten in a co-op on the Upper West Side? Read full article at nytimes.com
What's next
Since the article published we have received a lot of inquiries from people inspired and moved by Willy and his story. To honor his role a pioneer of space travel, I am coordinating with NYTimes journalist Maureen Cavanagh to speak with several organizations and individuals to both ensure his final resting place is fitting and also find a way to honor his legacy.
Here are the avenues I am working on:
Remains to space.
There is a possibility of sending a symbolic portion of his remains into space courtesy of the Celestis Foundation. More details to come.
Final resting with family.
I am in touch with Willy's closest relative and we will reunite his ashes with his family. It is everyone's desire to see Willy find a final resting place in space.
Scholarship
I have established a GoFundMe to raise money for an educational scholarship in Willy's name at the American Museum of Natural History.
Exhibit
We would love to see an exhibit of some sort about Willy and his life and work at the Space Center in Houston and I have made initial connections there to explore that further.
