October 13, 2023
Growing up in an Italian family in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, Jim Colica says that paying respects to deceased family members and friends was a regular part of life for him as a boy. Many relatives were buried at St. John’s Cemetery in Middle Village, Queens, and later his parents were laid to rest at St. Charles/Resurrection Cemeteries in Farmingdale, NY.
His wife Kathy Hanson is buried at St. Mary-Putnam Cemetery and her grave, which has the inscription, “Forever united in love,” is surrounded by colorful flowers to attract butterflies. Jim wanted her grave to represent the caring and joyful woman she was and be an enduring tribute to their love.
Jim was responsible for the refurbishment of the St. Mary-Putnam Cemetery office known as the “Cottage.” The 100-year-old structure resembles a castle, and Kathy loved castles after they went to Ireland to attend a wedding. Renovations to the historic building were done in her memory.
He also believes cemeteries can create a compassionate community for people who are grieving loved ones, and very often he encounters others who share their memories with him.
“We are all there together, remembering people we love. And all those people interred there have a life story, a family and friends,” he says. “When you’re there, you want to feel that someone cared to memorialize them, as you look at the place where they’re laid to rest.”
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