01/28/2026
🕊️ On the anniversary of Andre The Giant’s passing 33 years ago today, we share his Final Journey 🕊️
This photo captures one of the most powerful and rarely seen moments that’s been shared—Frenchy Bernard, longtime friend and handler of André the Giant, standing beside the oversized, custom-made coffin for André.
When André passed away in France in January of 1993, arrangements were made to fulfill André’s final wish: to be laid to rest on his ranch in Ellerbe, North Carolina.
Although André was cremated, international regulations required his body be transported in a casket—so this massive, hand-built wooden coffin vessel was created specifically for that purpose. Not just out of necessity… but out of honor. It had to be big enough, yes—but more importantly, it had to be worthy.
Even in passing, André defied comparison.
His ashes alone weighed over 17 pounds—almost three times the average.
Proof that even in death, he remained larger than life.
His funeral was small, quiet, deeply personal. No spotlight. No crowd. Just the closest friends and family—those who knew the man, not just the myth.
And Frenchy? He was there from beginning to end. From the road trips to the laughter to the pain—and finally, to this moment. A final farewell that no one else on earth could deliver quite like him.
This image isn’t just rare. It tells a story of loyalty… legacy… and love.
A moment fitting for a man the world knew as the Eighth Wonder.
- Steve Stasiak, Book Pro Wrestlers
