Willow Glen Resident

Community

Funeral home shows movies to all in the Halloween spirit

By Mayra Flores De Marcotte

This year, Willow Glen trick-or-treaters were treated to a free Halloween movie and goodie bags from an unlikely place.

The Willow Glen Funeral Home opened its doors to the community with free showings of two movies, The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown for the children and Vertigo for the adults.

"You know the holiday season has begun when you start seeing the Charlie Brown movies," says funeral home manager Todd Kendrick. "It's a nice, safe Halloween activity for the children."

The children and their parents were given free popcorn, candy and drinks while they watched the movie in the funeral home's chapel.

"We wanted to be more active with the community," says funeral director and embalmer Brandi Collins. "We wanted to offer something for the children."

The funeral home had been active in the community in the past, Collins says.

"We want to meet with these families to bond in a different way," Kendrick says. "It's our way of giving back."

This isn't the first funeral home in Willow Glen to reach out to the community. In the 1950s, the Lima family, of the Lima Family Erickson Memorial Chapel at 710 Willow St., decided to share their holiday spirit with the community with the creation of Christmas in the Park.

"It was a tradition for our family and something we are very proud of," says manager Gus Lima.

The setup took up a city block and was run by the family until the '70s, Lima says. It was then donated to the city where it grows year to year, as it attracts thousands to Ceasar Chavez Park annually.

The funeral home is still active with the schools in Willow Glen, printing tickets for events and sponsoring sports teams.

"I think schools activities are important," Lima says, "and the kids handle being involved with a funeral home really well."