▁his ▁death . ▁Le ary ▁initially ▁announced ▁he ▁would ▁free ze ▁his ▁entire ▁body , ▁but ▁due ▁to ▁lack ▁of ▁funds ▁decided ▁to ▁free ze ▁his ▁head ▁only . ▁He ▁then ▁changed ▁his ▁mind ▁again , ▁and ▁requested ▁that ▁his ▁body ▁be ▁cre m ated , ▁with ▁his ▁as hes ▁scattered ▁in ▁space . ▁ ▁Le ary ▁died ▁at ▁ 7 5 ▁on ▁May ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁His ▁death ▁was ▁vide ot aped ▁for ▁poster ity ▁at ▁his ▁request , ▁by ▁Den is ▁Ber ry ▁and ▁Jo ey ▁Cav ella , ▁capt uring ▁his ▁final ▁words . ▁Ber ry ▁was ▁the ▁trust ee ▁of ▁Le ary ' s ▁arch ives , ▁and ▁Cav ella ▁had ▁fil med ▁Le ary ▁during ▁his ▁later ▁years . ▁According ▁to ▁his ▁son ▁Zach ary , ▁during ▁his ▁final ▁moments , ▁he ▁cl en ched ▁his ▁f ist ▁and ▁said , ▁" Why ? ", ▁and ▁then ▁un cl en ch ing ▁his ▁f ist , ▁he ▁said , ▁" Why ▁not ? ". ▁He ▁utter ed ▁the ▁phrase ▁repeatedly , ▁in ▁different ▁in ton ations , ▁and ▁died ▁soon ▁after . ▁His ▁last ▁word , ▁according ▁to ▁Zach , ▁was ▁" be aut iful ." ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁Tim othy ▁Le ary ' s ▁Dead ▁( 1 9 9 6 ) ▁contains ▁a ▁sim ulated ▁sequence ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁allows ▁his ▁bod ily ▁functions ▁to ▁be ▁susp ended ▁for ▁the ▁purposes ▁of ▁cry onic ▁pres ervation . ▁His ▁head ▁is