The Memorial Garden

For many years, members and friends of the Unitarian Church of Staten Island considered establishing a Memorial Garden.

On October 29, 2000, by a unanimous vote at a congregational meeting, the Church decided to create a Memorial Garden on the recently acquired grounds adjacent to the Parish Hall.

The Garden is a place of beauty and tranquility, where we can honor the memory of friends and family members.

The Garden includes a circle in which cremains (ashes) are buried in biodegradable containers. This area is planted with lilyturf. Surrounded by a spiral walkway, the circle is nestled among new and mature plants.

Benches offer a serene place for meditation, set apart by shrubbery. The liquid murmur of a fountain completes the solitude.

The names of those who are interred in the Circle of Remembrance and other church friends, members and family will be memorialized in the Garden.

We are fortunate that renowned landscape architect and long-term Church member Bradford Greene has devoted his talents to the design of this Garden.

Interment Procedures

The Memorial Garden is a long-term repository for the ashes of Unitarian Church of Staten Island members and others.

People who have been members of the Church for at least three months have the rights to be interred. Others whose ashes may be interred in the Memorial Garden must have one of these relationships with a Church member:
  • Spouse or Significant Partner (as defined by New York State insurance requirements)
  • Child or Grandchild
  • Sister or Brother
  • Parent or Grandparent
  • In-laws or Step-relatives
The Church member himself or herself, the executor of the will, spouse or close family member may make the request to inter ashes.

The following must be received before ashes can be interred in the Memorial Garden:
  • A copy of the Death Certificate
  • Basic biographical information about the deceased
  • Payment of the current rate for interment
A "Right to Interment" may be purchased in advance:
Interment may be paid for in advance at the current rate.
Contact the minister to make plans for funeral or memorial services in advance.
You may contact the Memorial Garden Committee if you wish to commit the ashes of someone who does not fall into the above categories, or to request modified financial arrangements based on need

Gifts and Fees

The current rates for remembrance, interment or the future right to rememberance or interment are:
  • $750 for Church Members
  • $950 for non-Members
For more information on the Memorial Garden
Send an email to the church with your questions.