The desecrated Pearl City Cemetery finally sees hope

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – At Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery in Pearl City, signs of desecration, vandalism and neglect are everywhere.

12 years ago, the owner of the cemetery died leaving a leadership vacuum, so the homeless encampments quickly moved in.

Since then three fires have broken out which have destroyed all the records, the crypts have been left without doors, their walls are crumbling and tombstones have been overturned. They were once used as a makeshift camp floor.

“We had to move them. There were 25 of them and we still don’t know where they’re going,” said Larry Veray, president of Friends for Sunset Memorial Cemetery.

More than 4,000 people are buried here. Their families suffer from broken hearts.

“My dad struggled to get him to clean up,” Maureen Andrade said.

She has 8 family members buried at the cemetery, including her mother, father and sister.

What appear to be small houses at the cemetery are actually mausoleums. Veray says the homeless are still living inside. There’s trash everywhere and it smells terrible.

Governor Green signed House Bill 2192/Senate Bill 2850 and on Thursday, members of the Pearl City community gathered to celebrate the new state law that gives them the power as a nonprofit to oversee and repair the abandoned private cemetery.

The new law has broad implications for all abandoned cemeteries.

“It’s one of the few times we’ve known the solution was to look to our citizens for a solution that government can’t handle alone,” said state Rep. Gregg Takayama (D-Pearl City, Waiau, Pacific Palisade).

“I worked really hard,” Andrade said with tears in her eyes.

Friends for Sunset Memorial Cemetery says building a fence around the cemetery will come first with more grants and volunteer cleanup and construction events underway.

“I gave my organization three years to transform that cemetery,” Veray said.

“It’s like everything is so bright now and I see a lot of hope. Many families depend on us,” he added.

After years of tears, the families hope for peace.

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