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- Private services held in Yonkers and the Bronx
- Original KISS members reunited to pay respects
- Friends, media figures and a close circle
- What led to Frehley’s hospitalization
- Official statements from KISS and others
- Toxicology testing and the medical examiner’s update
- Timeline at a glance
- Attendee snapshot and atmosphere
Ace Frehley was privately laid to rest in New York last week, drawing a close circle of family, friends and famous faces. Details released by local outlets sketch a quiet goodbye for the former KISS guitarist, whose final days followed a severe fall and a brief battle for his life. Below are the verified facts and timelines reported around the services and ongoing medical inquiries.
Private services held in Yonkers and the Bronx
According to reports, a memorial was arranged on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at the Sinatra Memorial Home in Yonkers. The next day, a funeral service took place in the Bronx, where Frehley spent his childhood.
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The family described the ceremonies as private, by invitation only. Local media say roughly 75 guests attended the Bronx service. Those present included family members, close friends, and peers from the music industry.
Original KISS members reunited to pay respects
Members of KISS’s founding lineup were among the attendees. Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss reportedly came together one last time.
- Gene Simmons — attended the service and joined the family in mourning.
- Paul Stanley — present and later part of a joint tribute statement.
- Peter Criss — also reported to have been at the funeral.
The presence of the original trio underscored the lasting bond between the bandmates, despite years of public ups and downs.
Friends, media figures and a close circle
SiriusXM host Eddie Trunk, a longtime friend of Frehley, attended both the Yonkers memorial and the Bronx funeral. He confirmed details about the burial location.
Trunk said Frehley was buried near his parents, honoring the guitarist’s wishes to be close to his family in rest.
What led to Frehley’s hospitalization
Sources report that Ace Frehley suffered a fall in September that resulted in a brain bleed. Medical teams treated him, but his condition did not improve.
After discussions with physicians and loved ones, the family chose to remove life support. Frehley died less than 75 hours after ventilator support was discontinued.
Official statements from KISS and others
Following his death, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons issued a joint tribute. Their message described Frehley as a cornerstone of the band’s early years.
The statement called him “an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier” in the formative chapters of KISS’s history. It also extended condolences to Frehley’s family and fans worldwide.
Toxicology testing and the medical examiner’s update
The Morris County Medical Examiner in New Jersey provided details about the post-death review. They said no full autopsy was performed.
Instead, examiners completed an external examination and submitted samples for toxicology testing. The office explained it cannot determine a final cause of death until those results arrive.
Officials warned the toxicology report may take several weeks to be finalized, delaying an official cause of death.
Timeline at a glance
- September: Frehley reportedly sustained a fall and was hospitalized with a brain bleed.
- Weeks later: Condition remained critical; family and doctors faced difficult decisions.
- Life support removed; death occurred within about 75 hours of removal.
- Oct. 21: Memorial held at the Sinatra Memorial Home in Yonkers.
- Oct. 22: Private funeral service held in the Bronx with about 75 guests.
- Post-death: Toxicology screening underway by Morris County Medical Examiner.
Attendee snapshot and atmosphere
Eyewitness accounts describe a subdued, intimate gathering. The guest list leaned toward family and those who shared deep personal or professional ties to Frehley.
Among the notable names, the original KISS lineup stood out. Their attendance was a final, public gesture of respect.
