Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio was among the mourners at the funeral of renowned wildlife conservationist Jane Goodall in Washington, DC, on Wednesday.
The Oscar-winning actor, who had just returned from the COP30 conference on climate change in Brazil, got to know Goodall through his own environmental conservation work.
In his eulogy during the service at the Washington National Cathedral, DiCaprio described Goodall as a ‘dear friend’ and ‘absolutely unstoppable’.
The ashes of the 91-year-old British primatologist and anthropologist were carried up the steps to the cathedral through an ‘honor guard’ of therapy dogs.
The Jane Goodall Institute had asked the non-profit organization People Animals Love to bring the pups for the benefit of those attending the funeral, CBC reported.
Goodall passed away in Los Angeles of natural causes on October 1 during her book tour.
Leonardo DiCaprio paid heartfelt tribute to renowned conservationist Jane Goodall at her funeral in Washington, DC, on Wednesday. He’s pictured with fellow mourner Nancy Pelosi.
Goodall, who became known throughout the world for her groundbreaking study of chimpanzees in Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park, is survived by her son Hugo and three grandchildren.
They joined the gathering of wider family and friends which also included former House Speaker Nancy for the moving ceremony that included several tributes.
DiCaprio said: ‘Most people knew her as Jane Goodall, the icon, the legend. But the Jane I was fortunate enough to get to know was gentle, curious, funny, witty, and absolutely unstoppable.’
The actor remembered ‘talking late into the night’ with her about politics, biodiversity and the next generation over a whiskey.
‘When most of us think about environmental issues we tend to dwell on destruction and loss, and I’ll admit it’s something I’ve always struggled with myself,’ he said.
But, according to DiCaprio, Goodall ‘never lingered in despair. She focused on what could be done.’
Goodall passed away in Los Angeles of natural causes on October 1 during her book tour.
In his eulogy, DiCaprio described Goodall as a ‘dear friend’ who he remembered ‘talking late into the night’ with about politics, biodiversity and the next generation over a whiskey
‘She could be clear-eyed, even blunt about the greed and relentless consumption of our species, but beneath that fierce honesty was an unwavering faith that every voice matters, that we are all connected to the living world and that each of us can make a difference,’ he continued.
Merlin van Lawick, one of Goodall’s grandchildren, said his grandmother was someone who ‘constantly reminded us that life is full of wonders, an interconnected tapestry of diverse creatures.’
He concluded that her spirit leaves a message that ‘together we can, together we will and together we must change the world,’ CBC said.
The Executive Director of the Jane Goodall Institute USA, Anna Rathmann, said that Goodall ‘exemplified human compassion, love and kindness,’ according to the cathedral’s website.
‘She possessed a lively sense of humor, a genuine, demonstrated empathy towards others, and she felt responsibility to advocate for animals, people, and the environment,’ Rathmann continued.
Merlin van Lawick, one of Goodall’s grandchildren, said she was someone who ‘constantly reminded us that life is full of wonders, an interconnected tapestry of diverse creatures’
Judith Goodall sits with family members at her sister’s funeral service
The Jane Goodall Institute had asked the non-profit organization People Animals Love to bring the dogs that lined the cathedral’s entrance for the benefit of those attending the funeral
Goodall died on October 1 from cardiac arrest. The Jane Goodall Institute confirmed she died peacefully in her sleep while in California on her speaking tour in the United States
‘Together we will honor her memory with the people whose lives she touched, who were filled with hope by her messages, and who were inspired to take action to protect wildlife and the natural world.’
At the service, Rathmann said the Goodall’s work is ‘not done.’
Goodall is widely known for her groundbreaking work with chimpanzees, which began when she travelled to the Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania in 1960.
Seventeen years later she founded the Jane Goodall Institute to support research in the Gombe park. It works to protect the species and supports youth projects aimed at benefiting animals and the environment.
Born in 1934 in London, Goodall grew up in Bournemouth, England, and said that as a young girl the idea of her becoming a scientist was almost unthinkable.
‘There was no thought of becoming a scientist because girls weren’t scientists in those days. And actually there weren’t really any men going out there living in the wild.’
Goodall drew her inspiration from fiction and she developed two great passions: animals and Africa.
She also credited her mother, novelist Margaret Myfanwe Joseph, with encouraging her to pursue a career in the male-dominated field of primatology.
Goodall, pictured above in 1995, is widely known for her groundbreaking work with chimpanzees, which began when she travelled to the Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania in 1960
Goodall and chimpanzee ‘David Greybeard’ in 1965
Born in 1934 in London, Goodall grew up in Bournemouth, England, and said that as a young girl the idea of her becoming a scientist was almost unthinkable
‘I got my love of animals from the Dr Dolittle books and my love of Africa from the Tarzan novels,’ she said 2019. ‘I remember my mum taking me to the first Tarzan film and bursting into tears.’
Goodall was just 26 years old when she travelled to what is now Tanzania with little more than a notebook and a pair of binoculars.
She set out to meet the creatures she loved and this began 60 years of ground-breaking work to save them from extinction.
Going on to be a full-time primatologist and anthropologist she is considered one of the world’s leading experts on chimpanzees.
Goodall’s early love of primates developed after her father gave her a toy chimpanzee named Jubilee as a young girl instead of a teddy bear.
She went to Uplands School, an independent school in Poole. She left in 1952 but couldn’t afford to go to university, so she worked as a secretary at Oxford University for a few years.
In May 1956, her friend Clo Mange invited Dr Goodall to her family’s farm in Kenya. Mange encouraged her to contact Louis Leaky, the notable archaeologist and paleontologist and she began working as his secretary at age 23.
Goodall went to Gombe National Park in 1960 to study chimpanzees, while Leakey chose two other female researchers, Dian Fossey and Birute Galdikas, to study gorillas and orangutans.
