Two years to the day legendary entertainer Bob Hope died, family members and friends attended a dedication July 27 of the Bob Hope Memorial Garden at the San Fernando Mission in Mission Hills, created as an inspirational final resting place for the beloved comedian.
Adjacent to the mission chapel and overlooking the cemetery, the English-style flower garden decorated with religious statues and meditation benches opened to the public July 29.
"For most of his hundred years on old planet Earth and for all of his public life, Bob lived in the San Fernando Valley," said San Fernando Mission director Msgr. Francis Weber during the dedication ceremony. "On his many travels to the far corners of the world to entertain the nation's troops, his returning plane banked over the Old Mission as it made its way to Hollywood-Burbank [Airport]. We welcome him home and rejoice that he will henceforth share his many memories with his friends and his fellow travelers."
The dedication ceremony and Mass, with Cardinal Roger Mahony presiding, was the culmination of months of planning and construction at the historic San Fernando Mission. Bob's wife Dolores chose the mission for her husband's burial place because of his abiding love for the San Fernando Valley, where the couple raised four children and attended St. Charles Borromeo Church in North Hollywood.
Cardinal Mahony began the Mass by pointing out that while Dolores had expressed the desire for a simple celebration, the event drew two cardinals (including Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington, D.C.), former National Shrine director Bishop Michael Bransfield from West Virginia, priests from across the country and the renowned St. Charles Borromeo choir conducted by Paul Salamunovich. Other distinguished guests included actor Mickey Rooney and Mrs. Bing Crosby.
At a press conference held at the memorial garden June 28, Linda Hope, Bob and Dolores' daughter, said her golf-loving father would be pleased at the beautiful outdoor setting for his burial place. "This garden has been a labor of love for my mom and the rest of our family," said Linda. Her brother, Kelly, called it "a wonderful, fitting tribute" to their father's memory.
Dolores created the garden to be a place of meditation for visitors to reflect on Bob's life, his love of his country, his fellowman and his humor. Project designer John Gary, vice-president of J. Stuart Todd, Inc. Landscape Design and Lighting, said the garden takes visitors on "a journey" down a curving pathway through a flowering landscape with flowing water shaded by two 150-year-old Aleppo Pine Trees.
Before entering the garden, visitors pass by the "Our Lady of Hope" statue, a replica of a famous 17th century sculpture of the Virgin Mary at The Basilica of Our Lady of Hope in Pontmain, France, that was a family favorite. "The statue was very meaningful to my mother --- our dad did bring a little bit of hope to many," commented Linda. To the right of the entrance gate is a work-in-progress memorial wall with bas-reliefs depicting important milestones in Bob's life.
Bob Hope's crypt grotto features a bronze sculpture replica of Anna Hyatt Huntington's "The Holy Family Resting --- Flight into Egypt," located at The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Washington D.C. Bob's mother-in-law, Teresa Kelly DeFina and his deceased son, Anthony J. Hope, are currently interred in the garden with additional places for other family members.
The Bob Hope Memorial Garden is open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. Garden admittance is free to visitors with paid Mission admission ($4 for adults; $3 for seniors and children). The Mission is located at 15151 San Fernando Mission Blvd., Mission Hills. For more information, visit www.bobhope.com.
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