BIG STORY 2: ONGOING DELRAY CEMETERY CONCERNS
A Delray Beach man says the city denied his mother a burial plot at the municipal cemetery where generations of his family are laid to rest — and he says the problem is about far more than space.
Kevin Mitchell, who was born and raised in Delray Beach, said his mother died in June. When he sought to have her buried at Delray Beach Memorial Gardens Municipal Cemetery, where her parents, grandmother and two of her children are already interred, he was told there was no room.
WATCH: Delray Beach cemetery concerns grow as man says mother was denied burial plot
Delray Beach cemetery issues grow as man says his mother was denied a burial plot
“My mother spent her career as a school teacher over 32 years,” Mitchell said. “Two of her kids are buried here, her parents are buried over there on the far south side. Her grandmother is buried over here to my left. And she’s not here.”
Mitchell said the problem became clear months before his mother died, when she was in hospice. He said the city told him he would have to wait until after her passing. When she died in June, he was told the cemetery was at capacity — leaving her buried in Broward County.
A cemetery at the center of the community’s history
Mitchell said the cemetery holds deep significance for many people, particularly Delray Beach’s Black community, and that its deteriorating condition is an affront to the people buried there.
“This cemetery encompasses so many of these residents including myself, our lives, our parents, our loved ones, the legacy and the history of this community,” Mitchell said.
This is not the first time concerns have been raised about the cemetery. Previous reporting revealed that a software error led to pre-purchased plots being sold to other people. Residents have also raised concerns about weeds, sinking ground and toppled grave markers.
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“You can’t read the names anymore, their names are no longer legible,” Mitchell said.
‘A lot should’ve been done’
Mitchell said the problems have been building for years and that he is frustrated by the lack of action.
“I feel very hurt. I feel that a lot should’ve been done, a lot could’ve been done and there were mishaps, and missteps that need to be corrected,” Mitchell said.
His concerns deepened recently when he observed approximately nine graves being dug over a weekend, leading him to question whether space truly is as limited as the city has indicated.
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“As you can see, those were the graves that were dug and now they’re covered up,” Mitchell said.
City points to mausoleum construction
The city is pointing to the construction of a $2,875,010 mausoleum as a solution, which would add more than 2,000 spaces to the cemetery.
Mitchell acknowledged the project but said it does not address the needs of everyone.
“It will be beautiful once it’s completed, it’s excellent. But until you have some residents that do not wish to be entombed, they wish to be interred,” Mitchell said. “It’s a solution but it’s a bandaid to the overall problem.”
State lawmaker calls preservation a priority
State Rep. Rob Long, a former Delray Beach vice mayor, said the issues at the cemetery are serious and that preserving its history must be a priority.
“The issues at Delray Beach Memorial Gardens are serious, and preserving a cemetery that holds so much of Delray’s history has to be a priority,” Long said in a statement. “The State has already invested in documenting and preserving the site through the historic resource survey, and as the City works through what additional capital and preservation needs remain, I want to be at the table to help identify solutions and determine where the state may be able to assist through grants, appropriations, or other resources.”
Historic survey findings and what comes next
The city commissioned LG2 Environmental Solutions to conduct a historic resource survey of the original section of the cemetery, funded through a State of Florida Small Matching Grant. The survey documented more than 1,200 historic graves, found that 94% of markers are in fair to poor condition, and recommended the site as potentially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
The report called for expanded fieldwork, improved landscaping practices, professional repairs and enhanced public outreach.
The city said it expects to select a consultant this week to review operations and recommend improvements.
Mitchell said he will keep pushing for accountability — including his call for a permanent on-site office at the cemetery.
“I will advocate until the sun goes down and the sun comes up that they put an office on site right here at the cemetery,” Mitchell said.
He said the fight is personal.
“It grieves me greatly to even have to deal with this and fight this fight, but I’m fighting it for my mother who is deceased,” Mitchell said. “We as citizens need to make sure we’re doing all that we can to make sure that they’re being respected and that their wishes are being honored.”
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