Editing Graham Chapman (section)

== Illness and death ==
In 1988 Chapman made a routine visit to a dentist, who found a small, malignant tumour on one of his [[tonsil]]s, leading to both being removed via a [[tonsillectomy]].{{sfn|McCabe|2005|p=243}} The following year it was discovered that the cancer had spread into Chapman's [[spinal column]], where another tumour was surgically removed. Chapman had several [[chemotherapy]] treatments and surgeries during the final months of his life, but ultimately the cancer was declared inoperable.{{sfn|McCabe|2005|pp=244–245}} According to his brother, Chapman was visibly upset by the death of his mother that July, by which time he was [[terminal illness|terminally ill]].{{sfn|McCabe|2005|p=246}} Shortly afterwards, Chapman filmed scenes for the 20th anniversary of the first broadcast of ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'', the final time he appeared on television.{{sfn|McCabe|2005|p=252}}<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/3093564.stm |work=BBC News |title=Monty Python reunion 'unlikely' |date=9 September 2003 |access-date=4 May 2010}}</ref>

Chapman died on 4 October 1989 in [[Maidstone Hospital]] from resulting complications, aged 48.{{sfn|McCabe|2005|p=251}} At the time of his death, he was being visited by Sherlock, brother John and his sister-in-law, and fellow Pythons Palin and Cleese, the latter of whom had to be led out of the room to deal with his grief.{{sfn|McCabe|2005|p=251}}{{sfn|Marasco|Shuff|2010|p=94}} 

Palin was alone with Chapman when he died, and recounted the moment of death in his diary entry of 4 October 1989:

<blockquote>I walk round to the window and then come back to his right-hand side; take his cold hand in my hot one and tell him, quite loudly, that we all love him.

The regularity of his breathing is broken. A long pause, then a long inhalation. His lower jaw rises, his mouth closes and bares his lower teeth. I reach for my cup of tea. He breathes heavily. I start to talk again. A single tear emerges from his right eye and rolls down his cheek. The mouth is set. The great ridge of Adam's apple is still. There's no more noise from him. Nothing dramatic, no rattles or chokes or cries. He's not moving any more.

I don't want to leave him, nor do I want to make any noise or sudden movement. It's a moment out of time. All I feel is that I shouldn't be here, that David and John his brother should be.

There's noise outside. The clatter of patients and visiting friends. I call John and David to go in. They re-emerge a minute or so later. Graham is dead. It's about twenty past seven.<ref>[[Michael Palin|Palin, Michael]] (2014). ''Travelling to Work: Diaries 1988-1998''. St. Martin's  Press, p.74. ISBN 978-250-07707-3.</ref></blockquote>

Peter Cook had intended to visit, but arrived too late and was visibly shaken by the news.{{sfn|McCabe|2005|p=251}} Chapman's death occurred on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Pythons' collective debut on British television, and Jones called it "the worst case of party-pooping in all history".{{sfn|Marasco|Shuff|2010|p=94}}

=== Memorial service ===
{{quotebox|width=400px|quote="I guess that we're all thinking how sad it is that a man of such talent, of such capability for kindness, of such unusual intelligence, should now, so suddenly, be spirited away at the age of only forty-eight, before he'd achieved many of the things of which he was capable, and before he'd had enough fun. Well, I feel that I should say, nonsense. Good riddance to him, the freeloading bastard, I hope he fries! And the reason I feel I should say this, is he would never forgive me if I didn't, if I threw away this glorious opportunity to shock you all on his behalf. Anything for him, but mindless good taste."|source=John Cleese at Graham Chapman's memorial service{{sfn|Marasco|Shuff|2010|p=94}}}}

The five surviving Python members had decided to stay away from Chapman's private funeral to prevent it from becoming a [[media circus]] and to give his family some privacy. They sent a wreath in the shape of the Python foot, with the message: "To Graham from the other Pythons with all our love. PS: Stop us if we're getting too silly". [[The Rolling Stones]] also sent a floral arrangement, saying "Thanks for all the laughs."{{sfn|McCall|2013|p=143}}

A public memorial service for Chapman was held in the Great Hall of St Bartholomew's on 3 December, two months after his death. The service began with a chorus of the hymn "[[Jerusalem (hymn)|Jerusalem]]" sung in [[Engrish]] with a mock [[Spoken Chinese|Chinese accent]].{{sfn|McCall|2013|p=145}} Cleese delivered a eulogy to Chapman with shock humour that he believed Chapman would have appreciated{{sfn|Marasco|Shuff|2010|p=94}} and became the first person at a televised British memorial service to say "fuck".<ref>{{cite book |title=The Life of Python |year=2006 |first=George |last=Perry |publisher=Pavilion Publishing |page=200 |isbn=978-1-86205-762-3}}</ref> Palin also delivered a eulogy to Chapman, as did Idle, quipping that Chapman had decided to die rather than listen to Palin again. Idle led the other surviving Pythons and Chapman's close friends and family in a rendition of the song "[[Always Look on the Bright Side of Life]]", from ''Life of Brian'', and later closed his remarks by saying: "I'd just like to be the last person at this meeting to say 'fuck'."{{sfn|McCall|2013|p=145}}

Ten years after Chapman's death, his ashes were first rumoured to have been "[[space burial|blasted into the skies in a rocket]]" with assistance from the Dangerous Sports Club.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/590559.stm |title=Python star Chapman's flying ashes |website=[[BBC News]] |location=London |date=4 January 2000 |access-date=15 May 2015}}</ref> In a second rumour, Chapman's ashes had been scattered on the mountains of [[Snowdonia]], [[Wales]], where he had visited regularly as a climber.<ref>{{cite news |first=Nathan |last=Bevan |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/showbiz/life-times-monty-pythons-terry-1843865 |title=The life and times of Monty Python's Terry Jones |work=[[Wales Online]] |location=Cardiff |date=5 March 2011 |access-date=13 June 2015}}</ref>