2006:Cemetery owner tops the news

The sudden death of Marsha Lee Howard — owner and former operator of Grand View Memorial Park, which is under investigation and facing lawsuits due to alleged mistreatment of remains — created a stir among many Glendale residents who were already troubled about the cemetery's fate.

In life and death, Howard was one of Glendale's most closely watched figures in 2006, and the legacy of her actions at Grand View Memorial Park may live on for years to come.

The cemetery Howard ran since 1999 came under fire after a surprise inspection in October 2005 resulted in the discovery of a closet filled with the cremated remains of about 4,000 people who were never buried or properly disposed, many of which dated back to the 1930s, '40s, '50s and '60s. And in November of 2005 she was removed from her duties and ordered out of her house, adjacent to the cemetery. She was also named in a lawsuit filed by families with loved ones there.

She surrendered herself to authorities on March 10 and pleaded not guilty to six felony and three misdemeanor counts in connection with health and safety code violations at the cemetery.

The charges include six felony violations relating to the collection, investment or use of endowment- care or special-care funds, one misdemeanor count of violations relating to the deposit or disposal of human remains outside the cemetery, one misdemeanor count of violations relating to the commingling or cremation of remains of more than one person and one misdemeanor count of violations relating to the disposition or removal of human remains without burial or a removal permit, according to the complaint.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office dropped the criminal charges in May saying more investigation needed to be done

But Grand View's troubles were not over.

Moshe Goldsman, who took over for Howard as operator, closed and chained the gates on June 13 saying that he could not keep the cemetery afloat since the state prohibited as new business pending the outcome of the investigation.

The closure splayed Howard's name in the news even more. And while she was silent on the subject, her name became a well-known one in the community and beyond.

The city stepped in and helped reopen the cemetery for four hours a week, but the controversy continued.

Then, on Nov. 4, Howard was found dead in her home.