Editing Robert Anton Wilson (section)

==Death==
On June 22, 2006, [[Paul Krassner]] reported on ''[[The Huffington Post]]'' that Wilson was under hospice care at home with friends and family.<ref>[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-krassner/robert-anton-wilson_b_23608.html Robert Anton Wilson] The Huffington Post</ref> On October 2, [[Douglas Rushkoff]] reported that Wilson was in severe financial trouble.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rushkoff.com/blog/2006/10/2/robert-anton-wilson-needs-our-help.html|title=Douglas Rushkoff – Blog – Robert Anton Wilson Needs Our Help|work=rushkoff.com}}</ref> [[Slashdot]], [[Boing Boing]], and the Church of the SubGenius also picked up on the story, linking to Rushkoff's appeal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slashdot.org/articles/06/10/04/0213218.shtml|title=Illumninatus! Author Needs Our Help|work=slashdot.org|date=October 4, 2006 }}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20061129004851/http://www.boingboing.net/2006/10/02/robert_anton_wilson_.html Robert Anton Wilson needs our Help], [[BoingBoing]], October 2, 2006.</ref> As his webpage reported on October 10, these efforts succeeded beyond expectation and raised a sum that would have supported him for at least six months. On October 5, 2006, Wilson responded to the support by posting the following comment on his personal website, expressing his gratitude:

{{blockquote|Dear Friends, my God, what can I say. I am dumbfounded, flabbergasted, and totally stunned by the charity and compassion that has poured in here the last three days.

To steal from Jack Benny, "I do not deserve this, but I also have severe leg problems and I don't deserve them either."

Because he was a kind man as well as a funny one, Benny was beloved. I find it hard to believe that I am equally beloved and especially that I deserve such love.

Whoever you are, wherever you are, know that my love is with you.

You have all reminded me that despite George W. Bush and all his cohorts, there is still a lot of beautiful kindness in the world.

Blessings,

Robert Anton Wilson<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rawilson.com/main.shtml |title=Robert Anton Wilson Home Page |work=rawilson.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415144820/http://www.rawilson.com/main.shtml |archive-date=April 15, 2009 }}</ref>}}

On January 6, 2007, Wilson wrote on his blog that according to several medical authorities, he would likely only have between two days and two months left to live.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://robertantonwilson.blogspot.com/2007/01/do-not-go-gently-into-that-good-night.html|title=Do Not Go Gently Into That Good Night|author=Robert Anton Wilson|work=robertantonwilson.blogspot.com|date=January 6, 2007}}</ref> He closed this message with "I look forward without dogmatic optimism but without dread. I love you all and I deeply implore you to keep the lasagna flying. Please pardon my levity, I don't see how to take death seriously. It seems absurd."

Wilson died five days later, on January 11 at 4:50&nbsp;am, just a week short of his 75th birthday.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://robertantonwilson.blogspot.com/2007/01/raw-essence.html|title=RAW Essence|author=Robert Anton Wilson|work=robertantonwilson.blogspot.com|date=January 11, 2007}}</ref> After his cremation on January 18 (also his 75th birthday), his family held a memorial service on February 18 and then scattered most of his ashes at the same spot as his wife's—off the [[Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk]] in [[Santa Cruz, California]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://robertantonwilson.blogspot.com/2007/01/robert-anton-wilson-cosmic-meme-orial.html|title=RAW Data: Robert Anton Wilson Cosmic Meme-Orial|author=Robert Anton Wilson|work=robertantonwilson.blogspot.com|date=January 23, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{YouTube|ZQ-3yk7_kLU|Robert Anton Wilson Meme-orial Procession<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref>

A tribute show to Wilson, organized by [[Coldcut]] and [[Mixmaster Morris]] and performed in London as a part of the "Ether 07 Festival" held at the [[Queen Elizabeth Hall]] on March 18, 2007, also included [[Ken Campbell]], [[Bill Drummond]] and [[Alan Moore]].<ref>{{cite video
 |people     = [[Coldcut]], [[Mixmaster Morris]], [[Ken Campbell]], [[Bill Drummond]] and [[Alan Moore]]
 |date      = March 18, 2007
|title      = Robert Anton Wilson tribute show
 |url        = http://www.dailymotion.com/tag/illuminatus/video/x366w1_robert-anton-wilson-1-ken-campbell_fun
 |publisher  = [[Mixmaster Morris]]
 |location   = [[Queen Elizabeth Hall]], London
 |access-date = August 28, 2009
}}</ref>