WOODLAWN CEMETERY
800 Grant Blvd.
Syracuse, NY 13203
315.479.5826
Established: 1881
Acres: Unknown
No Official Website
Bella Morte Rating: 2 Tombstones
Maybe it was spring fever. Perhaps if this had not been the first cemetery outside our home town that we'd set foot in since being locked down by the bitter northeast winter of 2007, we'd not have created an entry for Woodlawn Cemetery at all. Perhaps we'd have focused all our time and attention on nearby Oakwood, which certainly takes the prize hands down when comparing these two graveyards. We think, though, that it was something more. Woodlawn is no great luminary amongst cemeteries we have explored, but neither is it unworthy of mention.
Established in 1881, this non-sectarian burying ground boasts of having Central New York's first garden mausoleum. Indeed, there were several mid-sized garden mausoleum complexes on the grounds, all pleasant enough, but certainly not possessing any unique or captivating features. Worth special mention, however, is a small grouping of above-ground, personal mausoleums adjacent to one of the garden mausoleum complexes. Comprised of side-by-side and vertical double crypts in addition to single units, this area near the front of the grounds had a unique and charming feel. Several of the tombs contained quotations, including the following in tribute to Susan D. Fazio whose brief five year sojourn on earth is commemorated with these lovely words from the Book of Proverbs:
She is beyond the price of pearls.
Nothing you could covet is her equal.
Her ways are delightful ways.
Within view of the Fazio monument is the vertical Asterino crypt which bears the follow inscription, no doubt inspired by the youthful age of the son whose life it commemorates:
ASTERINO
Beloved son
Peter Anthony
February 23, 1961 – Aug. 25, 1984
The clock of life is wound but once
and no man has the power
to tell just when the hands will stop
at late, or early hour.
Now is the only time you own.
Live, love, toil with a will.
Place no faith in tomorrow
for the clock may then be still.
What we have once enjoyed
we can never lose.
All that we love deeply
becomes a part of us.
Our visit in early spring meant the trees and shrubs had not yet donned their wardrobes of green. Even the early season flowers had not yet blossomed, but, the birds and squirrels were busy with the business of their lives and the grounds radiated an air of peace and tranquility and certainly invited exploration. Although we would not recommend going out of your way to visit Woodlawn, it's proximity to Oakwood makes it a natural stop for taphophiles who find themselves in the area. Perhaps others who stroll the grounds may be fortunate enough to see the apparition of a white being who, according to various internet sites, has been known to chase visitors. Sadly, we have no such delightfully frightening tale to share with our readers.
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