Florida Families Outraged as Cemetery Removes Tributes from Graves

Outrage Over Removed Grave Tributes

• 💔 Families visiting Rest Haven Memorial Park in East Tampa were shocked and angry to find personal tributes, decorations, and steel covers forcefully removed from dozens of graves.
• 😠 Visitors felt deeply disrespected, with some finding their loved ones' personal items discarded in a dumpster.

Cemetery Management's Stance

• 📜 The manager at Rest Haven Memorial stated that items removed were not permitted under their rules and regulations.
• 📢 Signs were posted starting in July to inform families about the rules, with the cemetery management claiming they attempted to contact families via phone, email, and text.
• ⚖️ New ownership and updated oversight are reportedly enforcing existing rules fairly for all families.

Family Perspectives

• 😔 Shelina Ganis expressed her distress upon finding her father's grave cover in a dumpster.
• 🗣️ Leroy Washington Jr. called the removal of his son's grave items "total disrespect."
• 😥 Monica Woods described the act as a disgrace, feeling that something was ripped from her heart with no remorse.