The friends, family and fans of beloved fitness expert Richard Simmons hosted a ‘Celebration of Life’ ceremony for him on Saturday at St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans. Simmons grew up in the city before relocating to Los Angeles to begin his fitness career.
Simmons died in July, the day after his 76th birthday. The Los Angeles County Coroner later ruled Simmons died from complications from a fall a couple of days earlier, with heart disease as a contributory factor.
On Saturday, Simmons’ brother, Lenny revealed to those at the service that Richard had been buried in his iconic fitness gear beneath his burial clothes. He said only around eight people attended the small, private burial event that had taken place previously.
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“Just like Clark Kent, underneath his beautiful things that he was wearing, his clothing, [Richard] is wearing a tank top and shorts,” Lenny told the crowd, reports EW. “Why, you ask? Because we think that God has another plan for him and we want to make sure that he was going to be in his normal costume that we all know and love, to help the saints and the angels get into shape.”
“So I’m here to say to you that even though he’s not here — and I know he’s in spirit here tonight — Richard Simmons will forever be sweating with the Holies.”
Some of those in attendance wore the sort of brightly colored workout gear associated with Simmons. Afterward, fans marched through the French Quarter, determined to give Simmons a proper New Orleans send-off.
“Kindness lives in all of us”
The official Richard Simmons social media accounts shared a couple of photos from the event. It included the order of service.
“Richard never considered himself a celebrity, a legend or an icon,” it reads. “Instead, he would say he was a ‘motivator’; someone who helped people to see their own personal successes. Here are some of his favorite quotes.”
It goes on to offer words of encouragement we could all do with remembering:
- “Kindness lives in all of us. You just have to let it out.”
- “Know your worth, watch your portions, and move your buns!”
- “Remember, you are worth more than all the pearls in the ocean, all the rainbows in the sky, and all the diamonds at Tiffany’s.”
- “No one is perfect. Absolutely no one. Like precious stones, we have a few flaws, but why focus on that?”
- “Count your blessings. You are one of a kind. There’s no one in the world like you. You are amazing!”
- “Never give up!”
- “When asked what he wanted to be remembered for, Richard replied, ‘He made me laugh, he made me think, and he made me sweat. God bless.”
From Richard’s celebration of life. pic.twitter.com/AgW4a4DE6w
— Richard Simmons (@TheWeightSaint) October 5, 2024
Shortly after Richard Simmons died, Lenny shared a statement with EW about his brother’s passing.
“I don’t want people to be sad about my brother,” he said. “I want them to remember him for the genuine joy and love he brought to people’s lives. He truly cared about people. He called, wrote, and emailed thousands of people throughout his career to offer help. So don’t be sad. Celebrate his life. He was very excited about all of his upcoming ventures he was working on.”
You can watch fans honoring Richard Simmons’ life with a procession in New Orleans below.
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