 Shaw died of natural causes on 23 December 1994 at age 89 in Brighton , Sussex , England . A memorial service was held 15 February 1995 at St Paul 's , Covent Garden , commonly known as the Actors ' Church due to its long association with the theatre community . Actors Ian Richardson and Ben Kingsley read works by William Shakespeare , stage actress Estelle Kohler read How Do I Love Thee ? by Victorian poetess Elizabeth Barrett Browning , actress Sheila Allen read Life by Welsh poet George Herbert and actor Kenneth Branagh read from the works of Canon Henry Scott Holland . One of Shaw 's own poems , Gemini , was also read . Baritone Stephen Varcoe sang Wie bist du meine Königin by Johannes Brahms , accompanied by Graham Johnson on the piano , and guitarist Martin Best performed and sang his composition of Ariel 's Songs from The Tempest . Shaw was survived by his partner Joan Ingpen , daughter Drusilla MacLeod , sisters Susan Bonner @-@ Morgan and Penelope Harness , and sister @-@ in @-@ law Olga Young . 
