Ed Koch Tombstone Bungles Birth Year [Video]

Someone screwed up the birth date on New York City Mayor Ed Koch’s tombstone.

Though Koch meticulously planned his own funeral, his tombstone erroneously placed his year of birth as 1942 instead of 1924, NBC 4 New York reports. As engraved, the birth date would have made Koch a child during WWII, even though the inscription also notes that he served during the conflict.

Engraver, Tommy Flynn, of Flynn Funeral and Cremation Memorial Services, said that the botched date was “an inadvertent error,” adding that he feels “terrible” about it. He has made plans to correct the engraving.

Koch was buried in Trinity Church cemetery in Washington Heights. He died of congestive heart failure in February at the age of 88. His funeral was attended by top political figures like President Bill Clinton and Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The Ed Koch tombstone error is most interesting due to the enormous preparation the former mayor put into his funeral. In 2008, Koch revealed that he had gone to great lengths to ensure he would be buried in Manhattan.

“I don’t want to leave Manhattan, even when I’m gone,” Koch said.’

Dianne Coffey, Koch’s former chief of staff, said that the man began preparations for his death in the 1980s.

“Who else plans every detail of a burial?” she said.

She also said on Monday that she was “appalled” over the tombstone error, but mentioned that Koch himself probably would have found the humor in the situation.

“As Ed Koch used to say, ‘It’s always important to correct the record,'” she said.

You can watch a video report of the Ed Koch tombstone error below:

View more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com.

[Image via: David Shankbone]