There is space for LI burials for years to come

There is one story that never seems to die: The whole world is in danger of running out of cemetery space. In just the past year, dire reports have popped up from Houston and Toronto, with similar tales coming from overseas in England and Australia.

So, should people on Long Island be worried about not having a place to bury their loved ones? The simple answer is “not yet.” Whatever may (or may not) be going on elsewhere, Long Island continues to have considerable space. As a funeral director, I think that is worth acknowledging.

For many, cemeteries are literally sacred grounds. They are a tangible link to a family's past, where people go for comfort and continued connection. I'm reminded of that each time I see someone kneeling in front of their loved one's headstone, deep in contemplation.

Those who operate some of Long Island’s largest cemeteries say those moments will not be lost for those who face family deaths in the years ahead.

“There’s no shortage on Long Island,” says Anthony Biolsi, director of New Montefiore Cemetery in West Babylon. Established in 1928, New Montefiore is one of Long Island’s largest Jewish cemeteries. “We have an abundance of available land and a minimum of 50 years, maybe more, of burials ahead,” he said.

At nearby St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale, projections are that burial space will be obtainable well into the next century. Carlos Balcarcel, the sales marketing manager for New York’s Brooklyn Diocese of which St. Charles is a part, says, “So far, 200 of the cemetery’s 600 acres are yet to be developed.” To better utilize the space, the cemetery will be adding a seventh community mausoleum sometime next year.

The story is the same further east at Calverton National Cemetery. At 1,045 acres, it is the nation’s second-largest veterans cemetery and provides graves at no cost to honorably discharged veterans, their spouses, and dependent children. “So far only 722 acres have been developed,” says Calverton administration supervisor Krisann Eastwood. The cemetery projects approximately 40 more years of first interments.

Part of Long Island's attraction stems from the passage of New York's Rural Cemetery Act, in 1847, authorizing commercial cemeteries. As the cemeteries in New York City's outer boroughs began to fill up, Long Island became a logical choice for new ones.

Just four years ago, Long Island saw the establishment of Queen of Peace Cemetery in Old Westbury. Between grave spaces for in-ground burial and community mausoleums for entombment, the cemetery reportedly contains about 200,000 interment spaces.

Chris Comando, marketing manager for Catholic Cemeteries of Long Island, notes that the Rockville Centre Diocese's other cemeteries, Holy Sepulchre and All Saints in Suffolk County, also have “plenty of space.”

Some people simply want to know that no matter how rosy the outlook for space is, they have taken care of their arrangements. Ed and Julie Jusino of East Meadow recently purchased crypts for themselves at St. Charles. The couple considered their purchase as a “weight lifted off their shoulders.”

In the last 20 years, cremation has become more common, slowing down the demand for grave space. But for many people, it will never take the place of burial. Knowing that space will be there for generations to come helps give people some peace of mind.

This guest essay reflects the views of Alexandra K. Mosca, a New York State-licensed funeral director who writes regularly about cemeteries and funeral services.