Pierce Brothers, Westwood Village Memorial Park


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Memory

Author's Collection


Chapel Interior

Located at 1218 Glendon Avenue, near Wilshire Boulevard in Westwood CA., Westwood Memorial Park is a small, quaint cemetary nestled between the high rise buildings in the center of the business district of Westwood. Marilyn Monroe's funeral was conducted here in the chapel at Westwood Memorial Park and she was interred in crypt #24 of a group of resting places known as "The Corridor of Memories". Marilyn Monroe is not only Westwood Village Memorial Park's most visited celebrity, but Los Angeles'. Many friends and associates of Marilyn's can also be found in Westwood, but it is the crypt of Marilyn Monroe that draws thousands of visitors each year to the small cemetary. Fresh flowers are placed daily in her crypt urn to the point that the surrounding urns are filled as well. Most people do come to pay their respects to Marilyn, but what they don't realize is that numerous people who were connected to Marilyn through her personal or professional life are also buried there as well.


Among them you will find:


Eve Arden ­ costar in "We're Not Married".

Truman Capote ­ friend/author of Beautiful Child (Marilyn chapter) in "Music For Chameleons"

Richard Conté - co-starred in 1951 screen test for "Cold Shoulder".

John Eley - Gladys Baker's last husband (ironically about twenty feet from Ana and Grace).

Grace Goddard - guardian and life-long friend.

Hugh Hefner - founder of Playboy (not deceased bought crypt next to Marilyn's for $75,000)

Ana Lower - "Aunt Ana", perhaps the person Marilyn was closet to.

Dean Martin - co-star in "Something's Got To Give".

Frances & Sara Taylor - Elizabeth's parents.

Natalie Wood - child star of "Scudda Hoo, Scudda Hey!"

Darryl Zanuck - head of 20th Century Fox.

Peter Lawford - friend, was "evicted" from his Westwood resting place for non-payment (though this is denied by the staff). He was later cremated and his ashes scattered.

Dorothy Stratten - Playboy model

Dominique Dunn - Actress, daughter of author Dominick Dunn

Heather O'Roark - Child Actress, Co-starred with Dominique Dunn in Poltergeist.

Others celebrities include Sebastian "Mr French" Cabot, Jim "Thurston Howell III" Backus, Frank Zappa, Roy Orbison, Eva Gabor, Burt Lancaster, and Donna Reed.

The last three cremetory niches in the stained glass window 30 ft. to the right of Marilyn's crypt were ALL sold on June 1st, Marilyn's birthday. These were the last of the closet spots except for the empty crypt in the upper left hand corner of Marilyn's wall (3 up and one over) - asking price is $125,000.00


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Westwood Organ

The actual organ used to play the music at Marilyn's August 8, 1962 funeral services, may still be seen inside the chapel at Westwood.

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Marilyn's Bench

On the outside, situated to the left of Marilyn's crypt at "The Corridor of Memories," you will find a concrete bench bearing this plaque, donated to the cemetary in loving memory of Marilyn, from the Los Angeles based group, Marilyn Remembered.


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In August each year, a memorial service is held at Westwood in honor of Marilyn. With the support of the staff of Westwood Memorial, alot of hard work and effort goes into recreating (as near as possible) the original service held here for Marilyn so many years ago. Organized and sponsored by "Marilyn Remembered" and its close-knit family of members, funds for the event are raised mostly through donations and events sponsored by the group. Also generously lending their hearts and time to honor Marilyn, it is not surprising to see such personalities in attendance as: George Barris-Photographer; Evelyn Moriarty-Marilyn's friend and movie stand in; Donald Spoto-Marilyn biographer; Mickey Song-Friend and sometimes hairdresser; Bebe Goddard-Marilyn's friend and foster sister; Susan Strasburg-Actress & daughter of Marilyn's acting coaches Lee and Paula Strasburg; as well as a host of other Marilyn prominants to numerous to mention .

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Getting to Westwood...
Map


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Once again I must pass my deepest gratitude to Eric Woodard of "Marilyn Remembered" L.A., for making this page possible. Without his help and never ending efforts this page could never have been put together for "Marilyn's Place." He provided many, many of the photographs you see on these pages as well as taking the time to send me hundreds of emails with information about the Westwood and many other pages contained in "Marilyn's Place Hollywood."
Eric you are the best!
XOXOX
Star


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© 1998,1999 Connie Larson last updated 1-10-99