I’m writing today with a personal request that’s both emotional and, candidly, rooted in a puzzling circumstance. My father was an integral part of the Park City community for decades. He led youth music for the 5:30 p.m. Skier’s Mass and ministry at St. Mary’s for over 20 years, worked with the city to improve wheelchair accessibility for beloved events such as Silly Sunday, and adored exploring our mountains with adaptive skiing programs through the National Ability Center.
These efforts reflect only a portion of his incredible spirit and his commitment to making this town inclusive and joyful.
He was also a passionate pilot, someone who found freedom in the skies and always returned to the heart of Park City. Tragically, his active lifestyle was cut short by ALS, a disease that devastates with merciless speed. And yet he lived with grace, giving selflessly through his final years.
He passed away in 2013, and we have held his ashes ever since, hoping to one day lay him to rest in the town that gave him purpose, connection, and community.
But due to a strict cemetery policy that limits plot eligibility to 10-year residents of 84060, we remain caught in a system that overlooks people like him. Our family has lived in 84098 with a Park City mailing address for more than 30 years, and yet the code says that does not qualify.
It is difficult to reconcile such a legacy of love, service and contribution with exclusion based on a Zip code boundary. That’s why I am reaching out to this remarkable community.
If you are a second-home owner in Park City proper and might be eligible to purchase a plot or columbarium space, and are willing to explore helping us do so in accordance with city regulations, we would be deeply grateful.
This is a personal and generous gesture to ask for, and we do so with great respect. My father gave so much to this town. Park City was his home, and we would be honored to finally lay him to rest here.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and consider it. If you or someone you know is open to connecting, please reach out. Park City is a truly wonderful community, and that spirit is exactly what gives us hope.
Carrolyn Gonsalves
Park City