FUNERALS/MEMORIALS

Mary “Maria” Bennett:

The Cat Lady of Hollywood Forever

By Allan R. Ellenberger

Many old-timers who work and visit at Hollywood Forever Cemetery may remember Maria Bennett, the so-called Cat-Lady, who cared for many of the stray cats that made the cemetery their home. This was especially true many years ago before the cemetery was bought and restored by the Cassity family. At the time, the cemetery was going into bankruptcy, and with little or no staff to tend to the graves, the entire property was soon in shambles.

That, of course is another story. However, during this time many volunteers came forward to water the graves, pull weeds and make sure that many of the famous and not-so-famous still had some respect.

The inscription on Maria’s monument

Maria chose to take care of the stray cats that made the cemetery their home. She would come by on a regular basis to make sure the animals had food, water and shelter. She did this for many years. There are still cats living at the cemetery, many of them descendants of those that Maria cared for.

Maria died in 2007 at the age of 72 and was cremated at Hollywood Forever. While her ashes are not interred there, her son recently had a memorial placed there for her. Maria’s monument can be found in Section 2, across the road from Cecil B. De Mille.

Maria’s monument is across the road from Cecil B. DeMille

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