BILL'S VIEWING AND BURIAL
Bill Choisser
Bill passed away on Tuesday morning, May 17, 2016, at 2:16 am, at California Pacific Medical Center, Pacific Campus, San Francisco. A viewing was held at Sullivan's Funeral Home in San Francisco on Friday, May 20, from 6 to 9 pm, and he was buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park in Colma, California, on Saturday afternoon, May 21.
These are photos from Bill's viewing and burial.
Wide view of Bill in open casket on Friday evening at Sullivan's Funeral Home
Closer view of Bill
Bill is now sleeping eternally in peace
On Saturday we left the funeral home in the Castro district for the cemetery in Colma.
Approaching Colma, about 8 miles south of San Francisco
We see Woodlawn Memorial Park ahead
Driving into Woodlawn Memorial Park
Climbing the hill to Area G of the cemetery
Pallbearers Eric Langhirt, Michael Valdez, Jim Barnett, Moises Dorado Valle, Peter Tannen, Louis Chiofalo, Chris Elliott and Norman Cuccio and friend Fred Babcock waiting for Bill to arrive
Preparing to remove the casket from the hearse
Moving the casket from the hearse to the dolly
Lowering the casket onto the dolly
Moving Bill to the grave site
Pallbears place their gloves and boutineers on top of Bill's casket
A moment of silence
The ribbon that was attached to the roses.
The rose bouquet is removed and the casket is lowered into a protective box in the grave. Goodbye, Bill!
The top is placed on the protective box
The crew is ready to cover the casket with dirt
The dirt is shoveled around the casket
The dirt is compressed over the casket. Bill's husband Larry's grave will be to the right of Bill where you see the board (hopefully not for a long time), and a single headstone will be centered between the two graves.
The view from our grave site looking east toward San Bruno Mountain. We found a beautiful site at Woodlawn!
The view looking north from our grave site where you can see the Colma BART station in the right foreground and Sutro Tower in San Francisco between the trees on the left.
Friends assemble with Larry, for a group photograph before leaving the grave site: l-r Francis Oliveira, Francis Cummings, Chris Elliott, Larry, Norman Cuccio, Eric Langhirt, Jim Barnett, Michael Valdez, Louis Chiofalo, Peter Tannen, Moises Dorado Valle and Fred Babcock.
Larry returned to the cemetery a few days after the burial and took this picture showing the sodded grave and the rose bouquet placed over the grave.
The headstone for the grave site was installed in early October, 2016.
This photo was taken on Bill's birthday, November 22, 2016.