Sharon Memorial Park

Stephanie Zonis

If this had not happened to my family, I'm not sure I'd believe it. But it did happen. My Father died a few years ago now; he is buried at Sharon Memorial Park. In accordance with his wishes, we arranged an unveiling ceremony for the spring of 2020. That got postponed due to COVID. In the fall of 2021, we decided to try again, and chose the fifth of June, 2022, as the date for the unveiling. Sharon Memorial Park does not confirm dates until the actual year of the event---fair enough. Very early in January of 2022, my younger sibling confirmed our selected date with their scheduler. Both of my siblings and their spouses live over five thousand miles from the Boston area, so it's a major undertaking for them to come out. But we had a confirmed date. My siblings and their spouses bought plane tickets and all of us reserved hotel rooms; we had already signed a contract for a restaurant with a private room in which we could hold a reception afterward. We sent out “Save the Date” notices to relatives. During the week of March fourteenth (2022), my younger sibling had a question about the unveiling, and e-mailed Sharon Memorial's scheduler twice. She received no reply---very odd, as the scheduler had always been very good about communicating. On Monday, the twenty-first of March, my younger sibling, still looking for an answer, called Sharon Memorial Park and reached the scheduler's assistant. During the course of their conversation, it turned out that Sharon Memorial Park would not be open on Sunday, June fifth, 2022, as it falls right in the middle of Shavuot. Shavuot, which commemorates the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people, is one of the three most important holidays in the Jewish year. Despite the fact that this is a Jewish cemetery; despite the fact that they supposedly have scheduling meetings with multiple people; despite the fact that this important holiday occurs in the same general time frame each and every year, Shavuot had somehow been left off Sharon Memorial Park's calendar for 2022. And no one there caught on for months. We were stunned, not to mention screwed. As a Jewish cemetery, Sharon Memorial Park is closed on Saturdays, of course, so we cannot hold the unveiling on June fourth. And Sharon Memorial Park is also closed on Monday, June sixth, still in observance of Shavuot. Both siblings and their spouses will not be present in the Boston area until late on Friday, June third, so that day is out; both leave on June sixth. What possible excuse or defense can there be for this? The only thing I can recommend for you and your loved ones is to stay far away from this place!!

Arielle L

Beautiful memorial park. Kept up well lovely landscaping.