The ex-wife of Blur drummer Dave Rowntree left almost £ 1 million in her will after she had traveled to Switzerland to end her life.
Paola Marra, 53, was struck by terminal breast and colon cancer and chose to end her life in the Dignitas Clinic on March 20 last year, with the help of her last explanation to make a change in British law to legalize assisted deaths.
In the end, she chose to travel only to Switzerland for fear that everyone who came with her would be considered an accessory for her death – before she would ask the star to come anyway. She then changed thoughts again – and only died the next day.
Records that are seen by MailOnline show that Mrs. Marra's estate was appreciated at £ 1.2 million before the costs such as funeral costs and mortgages are deducted – so that a net value of £ 941.004 remains.
Her last will and will reveal that she wanted to donate her body and organs to medicines and science – and that she would be cremated and spread her ashes at Hampstead Heath a short distance from her modest North London house.
Mrs. Marra, who was born in Canada, left most of her fortune to her brothers and sisters, all of whom still live on the Atlantic Ocean – but also gave a number of gifts to Mr Rowntree, 60, with whom she stayed close to their split.
In addition to a gift of £ 50,000, she also left the drummer, with whom she married in 1994, all her artworks and the content of her house in Finchley.
She also donated £ 4,000 each to Wigs for Heroes, a space between and secondary sisters, who support every people with cancer, as well as the life of the Charity Grayhound Greyhound.
The Paola Marra estate was worth almost £ 1 million, according to records, after she traveled to Dignitas to die instead of getting a brutal continuous cancer treatment
Blur drummer Dave Rowntree (depicted with Paola), got £ 50,000 in her will and her possessions
Paola Marra and Dave Rowntree married in 1994, but divided themselves in the early 2000s. They stayed close to her death
Another £ 10,000 was given to another friend in Cornwall to cover the costs of taking care of her pets, including older Whippet Stanley, after she was gone. She also left her car the same friend.
Mrs. Marra, with the support of her musician Ex, strongly called for changes in assisted dying laws in Great -Britain when her cancer deteriorated. She finally spent £ 15,000 on her Dignitas Travel and Treatment.
Mr. Rowntree burned the current laws 'psychopathic' and saw people struggle to live with chronic health disorders 'crawl around) like a criminal'.
The drummer and qualified lawyer, who also lost his father John to cancer last year, said to the Guardian: 'It is the system that washes his hands of difficult problems in a way that I cannot tolerate.
'This is psychopathic, where we are now, because the whole point of this (should be) to try to make things easier for the real victim in this – the terminally sick person.
“Not only that, but when the time comes, when they decide to die with dignity and end their lives at a moment of their choice, and in a way of their choice, they should not be supported by anyone, unable to hold someone's hand, unable to hug someone and say goodbye.”
“Not only that, but when the time comes, when they decide to die with dignity and end their lives at a moment of their choice, and in a way of their choice, they should not be supported by anyone, unable to hold someone's hand, unable to hug someone and say goodbye.”
A video released after the death of Mrs. Marra, filmed by the celebrated photographer Rankin, contained a moving message from Beyond The Grave.
She used the video to call a change in the law, so that people could 'recover' control of their lives when they were given a terminal diagnosis.
Dave Rowntree (second from the left) depicted with blur band members Graham Coxon, Alex James and Damon Albarn in 2015
The Dignitas Clinic in Switzerland where Paola Marra ended her life. The clinic is controversial for accepting international clients and allegedly encouraging 'suicide tourism'
Paola Marra was photographed by the legendary photographer Rankin and sent a very clear message to her cancer
The video published after her death contained several phases of her treatment – and a similar Candy approach to her cancer
In the video Mrs. Marra said: 'If you look at this, I will be dead. I choose to look for assisted dying because I refuse to let a terminal illness dictate the conditions of my existence.
'(A terminal disease) is a slow erosion of dignity: the loss of independence; Stripping everything that makes life worth living.
'Assisted Dying is not about giving up. It is even about recovering control. It's not about death – it's about dignity. '
“It's about giving people the right to end their suffering on their own conditions, with compassion and respect.”
Mrs. Rowntree discovered for the first time that she had breast cancer in 2017, then three years later in colon cancer – and she was told that it was incurable by 2021.
She described her treatment as 'brutal' and said she could no longer take many painkillers.
Terminally-Vill broadcaster Esther Rantzen is a advocate for reform in the UK, as well as a Zwathe from other well-known names, including author Terry Pratchett and actors Susan Sarandon and Patrick Stewart.
But critics say that every reform could open the way for 'murder sanctioned by the state. At the moment a person who is suspected of dying can help up to 14 years in prison in the UK.
Paola had spent her last days in Great Britain and enjoyed some of the best restaurants in the capital and the afternoon tea.
She had told the Guardian: 'I'm not afraid of dying. I'm afraid to die from pain. '
Assisted Dying is legal for terminally ill people in various American states, as well as large chunks of Australia, and in New -Zeeland, Canada, Austria, Spain and Ecuador. A handful of other countries have broader euthanasia laws for the seriously ill.
Paola Marra is outside the London Underground Station in East Finchley with her dogs for pets, both of whom have been repeated in Cornwall
A file photo of a bed in the Dignitas Assisted Dying Clinic in Pfaffikon, Switzerland
Images of Paola Marra from her entire life were shared in the moving video released during her death
Mrs. Marra said in the video that she was not 'afraid of dying' but 'afraid of dying in pain' (depicted with one of her dogs for pets)
Paola Marra died in March last year after he had chosen to terminate her life instead of the treatment of terminal breast and colon cancer (depicted in an image released after her death)
Assisted dying laws were hired by parliament on the island of Man on Tuesday and waiting for royal approval.
Proposals also move forward to Jersey, while MPs voted to support a bill of MP Kim Leadbeater to legalize the last November in England and Wales.
Mrs Leadbetter's proposal could lead terminally sick adults with less than six months to lead their lives. It is currently being investigated by a committee of MPs.
However, the Labor Member of Parliament has fired anger by withdrawing a promise that every assisted death would require the approval of two doctors and a judge of the Supreme Court after she had proposed to appoint a 'commissioner' and expert panels instead.
Mrs. Leadbetter has urged that the decision will not move from assisted dying cases 'behind closed doors'.
Similar legislation is discussed in Scotland, but may require a work with the British government to anchor it in the law after Scottish ministers said it might not be in the competence of holyrood.
Campaign group Dignity when dying last week had marked the first birthday of Paola's death, in which she had shared another video of hers that her decision to die to die.
An open letter that she had written collected more than 25,000 signatures to support the changing of the law.
“She was forced to leave her house, her country and her loved ones because the law denied her choice,” the group said last week as it remembered her.
“She should have been able to say goodbye on her own conditions, surrounded by those who loved her.”
Dave Rowntree (right) depicted with blur band members Graham Coxon, Alex James and Damon Albarn in 1999
Although the couple separated about two decades before her death, Mr. Rowntree had supported Mrs. Marra before her last trip.
The Blur drummer joined Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon and Alex James to blur in 1989, but has enjoyed an eccentric career as an labor councilor, film composer, lawyer, pilot, broadcaster and general election candidate.
The band was concerned with the famous Battle of Britpop with Rivals Oasis in the mid -90s and took seven UK number one albums.
They recently reunited for the second time, with Dave also pursuing a solo career in the past three years.
His interest in politics led him to two failed general election campaigns in 2010 and 2024.
