The grave of John Russell Houston, father of Whitney Houston, at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield. Though details of Whitney Houston's burial have not been released, Westfield residents say police warned them about road closures and a heavy police presence Sunday.
WESTFIELD — Joan Cedlak visits the graves of her husband and parents at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield nearly every day. She knows the landscape so well she jokes that if you give her a name, she'll lead you to the tombstone.
"I don’t think people will need my help finding Whitney," Cedlak said.
Westfield Mayor Andrew Skibitsky confirmed Friday that Houston, 48, who died last Saturday in her Beverly Hills Hilton hotel room, will be buried at Fairview Cemetery Sunday. He would not say what time the service will be held.
Cemetery officials refused to comment Friday but Skibitsky said Fairview will be closed to the public for Sunday's service.
Cedlak, who lives in Garwood, smiled as she considered the mere yards separating the grave of her loved ones and the plot where the music icon will be laid to rest. Houston’s father, John Russell Houston Jr., was buried there in 2003.
"I think it’s kind of an honor. She was a Jersey girl. For her to reach such high status and come back here — she’s coming home," Cedlak said. "And to think of people from Beverly Hills coming to little old Westfield."
While most residents dismiss the likelihood that Fairview will become a Graceland-like attraction, many wondered what even a modest contingent of curious fans will mean to their quiet community.
"I’m nervous about what this will do to the sanctity and serenity of this place," said Pat Gillhaus who visited the grave of her brother and brother-in-law Friday.
Gillhaus said she’s worried people who can’t go to today’s invitation-only funeral in Newark, will flock to the cemetery Sunday, even though it will be closed.
Fairview Cemetery, on Westfield’s north side, dates back to 1868, according to its website. Wooded rolling hills make up 105 acres of bucolic, well-kept land. Notable people interred include Virginia Apgar, who developed the "Apgar Score" system to test newborn health, former-U.S. Congressman Charles Newell Fowler, Claydes Charles Smith, a co-founder of the funk music group, Kool & The Gang and the family of murderer John List.
At Fairview Friday, grounds keepers used leaf blowers to tidy the rows of tombstones around the Houston family plot. A steady stream of onlookers wound to the back of the cemetery to visit the grave and snap photos.
Christine O’Brien lives on Wychview Drive, across from the cemetery. She plans to stay inside Sunday to avoid crowds. Other residents who live near the cemetery say they’re getting out of town.
"It’d be a shame if it turned into a tourist trap," O’Brien said. "Everybody lost Whitney Houston but, you know, a mother also lost a daughter, and a daughter lost a mother."
The Westfield Police Department is coordinating with Cranford, Newark and the Union County police departments as well as with Houston’s private security firm to ensure public safety and the family’s privacy Sunday, Mayor Andrew Skibitsky said.
There will be no parking on Hampton Court, Karen Terrace or East Broad Street between Springfield Avenue and Gallows Hill Road. Only members of the media will be permitted to park on Gallows Hill Road, which will be closed to northbound traffic.
"It’s a beautiful setting," Skibitsky said. "The fans that do come and pay homage will find a very peaceful environment for them to remember Whitney and all her talent and beauty."
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