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:
