Today, we commemorated the lives of those in our community who passed away in 2016 after having experienced homelessness. This service was a time for family, friends, advocates, community leaders and service providers to come together and show respect to the valued lives of these most vulnerable citizens. In many cases, this service will be the only commemoration of their passing.

The Homeless Persons’ Memorial Service has been held in Central Florida since 2002. Each year the names of those lost from Orange, Seminole and Osceola Counties are read and a candle is lit in their honor. Historically, there were always individuals who passed whose name was not available and thus a candle could only be lighted for a John or Jane Doe. Due to the efforts of our community to ensure that everyone has access to their legal identification documents, we are able to provide the dignity of reciting the name of every individual that has passed.

This candlelight service is always held near December 21st, the longest night of the year, as a recognition of the difficulties that nighttime causes for those that have no home. Similar services will be held in more than 125 cities across the nation, providing the respect and honor the passing of any life deserves.

 

Below are the names of those we honored.

Steven Albers

Sandra Altman

Randall Baker

Cody Bolesta

Kelli Jo Brooks

Charles Broyles

Billy Burton

Desiree Cameron

Christopher Cart

Monty Clark

Fred Crumb

Ernest W Davis

Jose Diaz

Dee Dickerson

Olivia Diggs

Godiva Dillard

Aviv Dulman

Josue Esquilin

Jonathan Ferriera

Esther Garcia

Javier Garcia

Sandra Graves

William Gray

Tracie Guin

Eugene Guzzo

Paul Hakk

Joel Hanggi

Joseph Hassell

Clinton Henderson

Deborah Hendrix

Francisco Heredia

David Huffman

Louis Hughes

Jack “Chip” Ingram

Julie Jensen

Benjamin Johnson

Genard Johnson

Timothy Kaley

Joseph M Kassel

Ernest King

Tina Klauck

Thomas Knight

Toriano LaSaine

Crawford Lewis

Joe Lewis

Robert Lindenbusch

Antonio Lopez

Jose Lopez

Eduardo Martinez

Steven E Maxfield

Shannon McFarland

Edyth McKetchnie

William Miller

Maxwell Minor

Gerald Noetzold

Robert “Scott” Noller

Alfred Pandy

Bennie Peterson

Joy Phillips

Lafayette Phillips

Jude Philogene

Vivian M Porrevecchio

Francis “Buddy” Rhilander

John Schweitzer

Deborah Sears

Edward Shanahan

George Shanklin

Julia/Judith Simon

Patricia Spencer

Dean Stadtlander

Rex Streeter

Patricia Tagliaferra

September Taylor

Linda Thompson

Phillip Tobin

Charles Valentine

Rose Vogel

Larry Walker

Curtis Washington

Larry Watson

George Webster

Sean Werner

Wesley White

Richard Wilkes

Freeda Williams

Jimmie Williams

Jerry Wishon

Hildrea Yarborough

Daniel Zenrick

 

 

 

2016 Homeless Memorial Photo Gallery: