I realize it may sound odd, but over the past few years I've begun visiting the gravesites of people - none related to me - whom I have admired. Some are famous, some are not. Believe it or not, but psychologists suggest that reflecting on death and mortality, and visiting cemeteries, is actually a very emotionally healthy thing to do. This is my first post with some thoughts and photos of one of these visits.
Before I begin, I thought it fitting to first say a few words about the person whose gravesite I wish could visit. As many of you who know me know, my boyhood hero was Roberto Clemente, but for anyone who is familiar with the details of his tragic death, it is of course not possible to visit his gravesite. I do hope one day to at least visit the airstrip in Puerto Rico from where his doomed plane took off. I was only 14 years old when Clemente died. I was a freshman at South High School, a time in my life that I did not, and probably could not, appreciate the man to whom this post is actually dedicated - Fred McFeeley Rogers, better known simply as Mr. Rogers. I have come to admire Mr. Rogers' work and life ethic in a very deep way over about the past 25 years or so, an admiration that just seems to get a little stronger each day. Frankly, I think it is somehow very fitting to mention Mr. Rogers and Roberto Clemente in the same tribute. They seem to be of the same caliber of human being, despite the fact that the two could not be from different backgrounds.
Mr. Rogers' gravesite is in the Unity Cemetery in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, probably the most peaceful and beautiful cemetery I have yet visited. Although I tend to think of Mr. Rogers as a Pittsburgher, he really belongs to the city of Latrobe, where he was born and raised. The city of Pittsburgh actually owes Latrobe a huge debt of gratitude for letting us informally claim him for so long. The drive from Pittsburgh to Latrobe is not far - about 40 miles - so I hope many in the Pittsburgh area will take a day to go and pay your respects. While there, be sure to visit the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children's Media at nearby Saint Vincent College and consider making a small donation.
Here are two of the photos I took of Mr. Rogers' gravesite. The first is a photo of the Given family mausoleum, within which Mr. Rogers is interred:
Here are the coordinates of the gravesite, along with a local map showing the location:
You make me proud, Mr. Rogers, to be from Pittsburgh and to be an educator.
Before I begin, I thought it fitting to first say a few words about the person whose gravesite I wish could visit. As many of you who know me know, my boyhood hero was Roberto Clemente, but for anyone who is familiar with the details of his tragic death, it is of course not possible to visit his gravesite. I do hope one day to at least visit the airstrip in Puerto Rico from where his doomed plane took off. I was only 14 years old when Clemente died. I was a freshman at South High School, a time in my life that I did not, and probably could not, appreciate the man to whom this post is actually dedicated - Fred McFeeley Rogers, better known simply as Mr. Rogers. I have come to admire Mr. Rogers' work and life ethic in a very deep way over about the past 25 years or so, an admiration that just seems to get a little stronger each day. Frankly, I think it is somehow very fitting to mention Mr. Rogers and Roberto Clemente in the same tribute. They seem to be of the same caliber of human being, despite the fact that the two could not be from different backgrounds.
Here are two of the photos I took of Mr. Rogers' gravesite. The first is a photo of the Given family mausoleum, within which Mr. Rogers is interred:
The second shows Mr. Roger's final resting place inside, taken through the window of the locked front door:
Latitude: 40° 18' 34.8" N
Longitude: 79° 25' 6.6" W
