Memorial Bench Unveiled Atop Willow Springs Park Honoring Neighborhood Advocate, Community Volunteer Jerry Caligiuri

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(October 27, 2018, 11:20 p.m.) -- Former co-workers, civic volunteers, neighborhood advocates and elected officials exceeded the capacity of the parking lot at Willow Springs Park (Orange Ave. between Spring and Willow Streets) to attend the Saturday morning (Oct. 27) unveiling ceremony of a memorial bench atop the park's Longview Point honoring neighborhood advocate and community volunteer Jerry Caligiuri. LBREPORT.com provides on-demand VIDEO of the ceremony below.

7th district Councilman Roberto Uranga officiated and effectively made the event possible, using campaign funds not spent during his recent re-election campaign to fund the memorial bench (without using taxpayer funds) to honor Mr. Caligiuri.

Councilman Uranga (right) officiated and made the event possible.

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Mr. Caligiuri's two sisters, Frances Vess and Anna Caligiuri attended the ceremony, joining City Prosecutor Doug Haubert, LBCC Trustee Vivian Malauulu, Wrigley Area Neighborhood Alliance leaders Joan Greenwood and Maria Norvell, volunteers and leaders in the Kiwanis Club of Bixby Knolls & North Long Beach and others who interacted with Mr. Caligiuri during his more than two decades of community involvements.

City Prosecutor Haubert, WANA co-founder Norvell, foreground center in photo.

To view extended video of the ceremony, click the embedded link below.

Mr. Caligiuri served as an aide to former Councilmembers James Johnson (7th dist.), Rob Webb (8th dist.), Val Lerch (9th dist.); was a member of the Neighborhoods USA board of directors; a community liaison to Long Beach Airport; regional director of the Pacific Southwest region of Y service clubs; president of the Downtown Lions Club and active in the Kiwanis Club of Bixby Knolls and North Long Beach.

Mr. Caligiuri's two sisters, Frances Vess and Anna Caligiuri, seated on the bench, flanked by Kiwanis members.

Now permanently marking a bench atop Longview Point in Willow Springs Park is a plaque stating: "In memory of Jerry Caligiuri. August 16, 1955 - November 1, 2017. A friend to the entire community."

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