Stephen Hawking’s family offers lottery for Westminster tickets

In this file photo taken on September 19, 2013, theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking poses for a picture ahead of a gala screening of the documentary ‘Hawking’, a film about the scientist’s life, at the opening night of the Cambridge Film Festival in Cambridge, eastern England. Hawking has died at age 76 on March 14, 2018. (AFP PHOTO / ANDREW COWIE)

LONDON — The family of the late Stephen Hawking is holding a lottery to choose 1,000 people who will get a free ticket to attend a service of thanksgiving in the British physicist’s honor at Westminster Abbey.

Hawking’s ashes are to be interred June 15 at the London church between the graves of Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin.

The cosmologist’s account of the mysteries of space, time, and black holes in “A Brief History of Time” won him international acclaim. His work went on despite being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, at age 21.

In a nod to the public, Hawking’s foundation will select 1,000 applicants at random to attend. The abbey will be open for free afterward for the public to pay their respects at his grave.

Ticket applications can be made until May 15 by visiting www.stephenhawkinginterment.com.                         /kga