Desert Memorial Park Explained

Desert Memorial Park is a cemetery in Cathedral City, California, United States, near Palm Springs.^[2] Opening in 1956 and receiving its first interment in 1957,^[3] it is maintained by the Palm Springs Cemetery District.^[4] The District also maintains the Welwood Murray Cemetery in Palm Springs.^[5]

LGBTQ Veterans Memorial

In 2001, American Veterans Post 66 dedicated a memorial at the cemetery honoring all LGBTQ veterans.^[6] In 2018, the state passed California Assembly Bill 2439 designating the memorial as California's official LGBTQ veterans memorial. In recognition, a second plaque was affixed to the monument. The memorial is an obelisk of South Dakotan mahogany granite with the logo of American Veterans for Equal Rights on it.^[7]

Notable interments

Among those buried here are:

• Chris Alcaide (1923–2004), actor
• Dorothy Arnold (1917–1984), actress
• William Milton Asher (1921–2012), American television and film producer, director, and screenwriter
• Busby Berkeley (1895–1976), motion picture director and musical choreographer
• Sonny Bono (1935–1998, born Salvatore Phillip Bono), record producer, singer (one half of the husband-wife duo Sonny & Cher), actor, politician
• Lorayne Brox (1901–1993), one of the Brox Sisters singing group
• Bob Cobert (1924–2020), television music composer
• Lawrence L. Crossley (1899–1962), Palm Springs businessman, pioneer, and first black resident
• Velma Wayne Dawson (1912–2007), puppeteer and creator of Howdy Doody
• Brad Dexter (1917–2002), actor and film producer
• Alex Dreier (1916–2000), broadcaster and actor
• Jolie Gabor (1896–1997), mother of the Gabor sisters
• Magda Gabor (1915–1997), one of the Gabor sisters
• Louis Galen (1925–2007), philanthropist and banker
• Neva Gerber (1894–1974), silent film actress
• Bill Goodwin (1910–1958), television announcer
• Irving Green (1916–2006), founder of Mercury Records^[8]
• Earle Hagen (1919–2008), composer^[8]
• Claude Harmon (1916–1989), golfer^[8]
• Howard Hesseman (1940–2022), actor
• Josephine Hill (1899–1989), actress
• Roy W. Hill (1899–1986), philanthropist
• Eddy Howard (1915–1963), singer^[8]
• Betty Hutton (1921–2007), singer and actress^[8]
• Jennings Lang (1915–1996), film producer
• Andrea Leeds (1913–1984), actress
• Benjamin Lees (1924–2010), composer^[8]
• Diana "Mousie" Lewis (1919–1997), actress
• Monica Lewis (1922–2015), actress and singer
• Frederick Loewe (1901–1988), composer^[8]
• Marian Marsh (1913–2006), actress^[8]
• David J. McDonald (1902–1979), labor leader
• Maurice "Mac" McDonald (1902–1971), co-founder, with brother Dick, of the original McDonald's chain
• Cameron Mitchell (1918–1994), actor
• Hugo Mario Montenegro (1925–1981), orchestra leader and composer
• John J. Phillips (1887–1983), United States Congressman^[8]
• William Powell (1892–1984), actor and associate producer^[8]
• William David Powell (1925–1968), TV writer^[8]
• Marjorie Rambeau (1889–1970), actress
• Rebel Randall (1921–2010, born Alaine C. Brandes), American actress
• Pete Reiser (1919–1981), baseball player
• Jilly Rizzo (1917–1992), restaurateur and entertainer^[8]
• Frank Scully (1892–1964) author, journalist, humorist, and columnist
• Ginny Simms (aka, Virginia E. Eastvold) (1913–1994), actress^[8]
• Anthony Martin Sinatra (1892–1969), professional boxer, bar owner and the father of Frank Sinatra
• Barbara Sinatra (1926–2017), model and showgirl, wife of Frank Sinatra^[8]
• Dolly Sinatra (1896–1977), mother of Frank Sinatra
• Frank Sinatra (1915–1998), singer and actor^[8]
• Suzanne Somers (1946–2023), actress
• Shirley Spork (1927–2022), golfer
• Jimmy Van Heusen (1913–1990, born Edward C. Babcock), American composer
• Philip "Mickey" Weintraub (1907–1987), MLB player
• Ralph Young (1923–2008), singer and actor^[8]

See also

• Coachella Valley Public Cemetery
• Forest Lawn Cemetery (Cathedral City) – across Ramon Road from Desert Memorial Park
• List of cemeteries in Riverside County, California
• List of cemeteries in California

External links

• Palm Springs Cemetery District (official website)
• Palm Springs District Cemetery USGS Cathedral City Quad, California, Topographic Map at TopoZone

Notes and References

1. Web site: USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) . 2011-09-29 . 2021-07-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210719170625/https://geonames.usgs.gov/login/index.php . live .
2. Book: Brooks. Patricia. Laid to Rest in California: a guide to the cemeteries and grave sites of the rich and famous . Chapter 8: East L.A. and the Desert . 238–245 . 2006. Globe Pequot Press. Guilford, CT. 978-0762741014. Brooks . Jonathan . 70284362.
3. The Palm Springs Cemetery District itself was covers 504 square miles, including Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Thousand Palms, and Rancho Mirage. See: Book: Robinson, Nancy. Palm Springs History Handbook. 1992. Palm Springs Public Library. Palm Springs, CA. 7. 31595834.
4. The Palm Springs Cemetery District is a Special District established under California's Special District Law. See: Kimia Mizany and April Manatt, California Senate Local Government Committee, What's So Special About Special Districts? A Citizen's Guide to Special Districts in California (Third Edition) 2002
5. Web site: Palm Springs Cemetery District . 2011-06-30 . 2011-08-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110802153738/http://www.pscemetery.com/ . live .
6. Web site: National LGBT Veterans Memorial . www.gayveteransmemorial.com . 2011–2012 . 2019-09-11 . 2019-01-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190119092905/http://www.gayveteransmemorial.com/home/ . live .
7. Web site: Ring . Trudy . California Becomes First State to Honor LGBTQ Veterans . Advocate.com . 2018 . 2018-08-22 . 2020-02-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200220132157/https://www.advocate.com/military/2018/8/21/california-becomes-first-state-honor-lgbtq-veterans . live .
8. Web site: Palm Springs Cemetery District, 'Interments of Interest' . 2011-06-30 . 2018-09-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180926121359/http://www.pscemetery.com/pdfs/interments.pdf . live .