Heath Ledger’s father was flying last night to New York, where his son’s body was being prepared for burial by an Upper East Side funeral home to the stars.
The “Brokeback Mountain” star’s remains were being tended at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home on Madison Avenue and 81st Street.
Staff there would not say if he would be buried in the United States or in his native Australia.
Word on his final send-off was not expected until his father, race-car driver Kim Ledger, arrives this morning, staff at the funeral home said. Other than that, they were closed-lipped about the arrangements.
As Ledger lay inside, a shipment of caskets was spotted being loaded into the legendary funeral home, where luminaries from Judy Garland to Ed Sullivan to George Gershwin have had their final send-off.
More recently, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ funeral was arranged by Campbell.
Meanwhile, Danish supermodel Helena Christensen, a former flame of the tragic star, was spotted yesterday, her eyes filled with tears as she picked up her 8-year-old son from school.
She told PageSix.com that his death was “just beyond sad.”
Outside the funeral home yesterday, a group of schoolgirls paid their respects and left three white roses and a note as a small tribute to the actor, who also starred in the films “10 Things I Hate About You” and “A Knight’s Tale.”
Their note read, “Heath Ledger, RIP.”