Near the top of a hill in Seattle’s historic Lake View Cemetery, two distinctive graves sit side by side — those of Bruce Lee and his son, Brandon Lee.
During a 2018 trip to Seattle, we visited the cemetery to see the father and son’s final resting place in person. Located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, Lake View was established in 1872 and overlooks portions of downtown Seattle, Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains. The Lee graves have become one of the cemetery’s best-known destinations, drawing thousands of visitors each year.
© 2018 Barrelassin’ Media
Bruce Lee’s connection to Seattle began long before it became his final resting place. He arrived in the city in 1959, attended the University of Washington, taught martial arts and met Linda Emery, who would become his wife. After his death in 1973 at just 32 years old, Lee was buried at Lake View Cemetery.
His red granite marker bears his portrait, name and Chinese characters. At the foot of the grave is an open-book memorial featuring the yin-yang symbol and words reflecting the philosophy that became an important part of Lee’s legacy.
© 2018 Barrelassin’ Media
Twenty years later, the neighboring gravesite became the final resting place of Bruce’s son.
Brandon Lee was building an acting career of his own when he was fatally wounded in an accident during the filming of The Crow in 1993. He was 28. Brandon was buried beside his father at Lake View Cemetery following a private service attended by family and friends
© 2018 Barrelassin’ Media
The two markers are strikingly different — Bruce’s red stone beside Brandon’s darker marker — yet together they have become one of the most visited areas of the cemetery. Flowers, coins and other personal tributes have been left there by visitors for decades.
Seeing the graves in person adds another dimension to two stories so closely tied to film and popular culture. Bruce Lee’s influence continued to grow long after his death, while Brandon’s career was cut short just as The Crow would become the film for which he is most remembered.
More than four decades after Bruce Lee was laid to rest there — and 25 years after Brandon joined him — visitors were still making their way up the hill in 2018 to stand beside those two markers and pay their respects.
