suicide after many attempts, just months following her mother's death. In 1961, Harkness married Ben Kean (c. 1912–1993), a physician who was a professor of Tropical Medicine at the Cornell Medical College. They divorced in 1965. In 1974, she married Niels H. Lauersen, another physician, who was 20 years her junior. They divorced in 1977. Death Harkness died of stomach cancer in her Manhattan home on June 17, 1982 at the age of 67. During her final days, Harkness began to reconcile with her children. Following her death, a memorial was held at the family home before Harkness was cremated, and her ashes were placed in a $250,000 spinning urn designed by Salvador Dalí, then placed in the Harkness Mausoleum in Woodlawn Cemetery. In popular culture Harkness' "Holiday House" in Watch Hill, Rhode Island was acquired in 2013 by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. In 2020, Swift wrote the song "The Last Great American Dynasty" for her eighth studio album Folklore (2020), in which she tells Harkness' life story and draws parallels between Harkness’ highly publicized life and her own. An American Ballet Story is an upcoming documentary film directed by Leslie Strait and sponsored by the International Documentary Association. It explores the Harkness' legacy and her company, Harkness Ballet. References Further reading Craig Unger, Blue Blood, St Martins, November, 1989, . External links Missouri Biographical Dictionary entry on Harkness Time Magazine article on Harkness Ballet The end of the Harkness years 1982 deaths 1915 births People from St. Louis 20th-century American philanthropists Harkness family People from Manhattan