Hollywood Forever Cemetery and Funeral Home
Hollywood Forever Cemetery and Funeral Home is one of the oldest cemeteries founded in 1899 and is known for being a resting home for many of Hollywood beloved stars and artists, including the people who built Hollywood. Before the civil rights movement of the 1950s, the cemetery limited the families they served, and have expanded the cultural groups they serve over different phases. In 1998 the cemetery had fallen on hard times, and was purchased by Tyler Cassidy who believed that the cemetery could also be community cultural center, not a place for grieving, but also one for joy. In partnership with a counselor at the time Daisy Marquez who was from Mexico, they developed one of their most well-known cultural, an annual Dia de los Muertos celebration, originally drawing from the traditions of rural Mexico. The event became very popular, now the largest Day of the Dead celebration in the U.S. and draws 35,000 people. The cemetery has expanded only to honor the traditions of the Latin American families they serve, but also of other local groups, including Thais, Armenians, Russians, Sikhs and Hindus and prides itself in being a welcoming site to for these traditions and faiths as well.
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I think the fact that we honor so many traditions and cultures and demographic groups makes us a welcoming place. An interesting place where people can come together to experience each other's traditions - Theodore Hovey, Family Services Counselor
