Memorial Park cemetery faces uncertain future

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

The operator of the Honolulu Memorial Park in Nu'uanu has enough money for two more months of maintenance, and operations could come to a halt unless a reorganization plan is reached.

About 150 people, mostly elderly residents who own niches and plots at the cemetery, attended a meeting for park creditors yesterday at U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

Many wanted to know what would happen to their niches should the park fail to come out of Chapter 11 reorganization under federal bankruptcy.laws.

Families also were concerned about maintenance at the park and who would provide the work associated with funeral services. But the response from a park director and attorney wasn't very promising.

Park treasurer Manning Richards said it costs about $11,000 a month to run the cemetery. But he said that money will run out in two months and no one knows what will happen next.

"We have to find a successor organization to keep (the office) opening and running," Richards said. "It has to be resolved (in two months) or it has to close."

He said the road to the park likely will remain open, but no one will be available to unlock the temple and pagoda, where niches are contained, or care for the lawn.

Richards assured families who own burial plots and niches in the park's temple that they would be able to bury and visit loved ones.

But he said the bankruptcy will affect people who purchased niches in a three-story pagoda, which is in disrepair and may have to be demolished.

The landmark contains 1,765 niches, of which 1,267 are sold, Richards said. He said there is enough space elsewhere in the park to accommodate those already interred in about 100 niches in the pagoda.

But he said there isn't enough space for families who own empty niches.

Attorney Jerrold Guben, who represents the park, told these families to file a proof of claim with the bankruptcy trustee. But he also suggested that families consider donating their niches to Kyoto Gardens, a nonprofit organization that was set up about 10 years ago to take over the park.

Guben said families could claim the value of the niche as a tax deduction, which may be the only way they see a return from their investment.

Built in 1966, the pagoda is a replica of the Sanju Pagoda in Nara, Japan. But the reinforced concrete structure is crumbling and a temporary scaffolding was installed to protect visitors from falling concrete.

Honolulu Memorial Park filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Dec. 28, 2001.