Screen legend Olivia Newton-John will be honored with a state funeral in her adopted homeland of Australia, authorities said on Thursday (August 11th), touting an upbeat obituary for the late Grammy-winning actress.
British-born, Australian-raised star of the 1978 hit musical Grease died Monday, August 8, at her home in Southern California.
The cause of death was not released, but Newton-John, 73, had spent three decades trying, as she put it, to “beat” breast cancer.
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Olivia Newton-John State Memorial
Victorian Premier Dan Andrews said Newton-John’s family had accepted the offer of a state memorial that would “be more of a concert than a funeral”.
“It will be a fitting celebration of such a rich and generous life.”
The date of installation of the memorial has not yet been set.
John Easterling pays tribute to his late wife Olivia Newton-John
Her widower John Easterling posted a tribute to her on Thursday and thanked fans for the “huge ocean of love and support” that came with her death.
“She was the bravest woman I ever knew,” he said.
“In the most difficult of times, she always had the spirit, the humor and the willpower to push things forward.”
— Author © Agence France-Presse
