Celebrity Graveland

January 24, 1943 – August 9, 1969

Sharon Tate was a B-Movie actress who was just on the cusp of mainstream stardom when the unthinkable happened…and made her a household name.

Tate’s career as an actress was modest, at best. She had bit parts on television shows like The Beverly Hillbillies and had major roles in cult movies like Valley of the Dolls. But her talents took some work. Being a tall, beautiful head-turner certainly helped cover over many of the confidence issues that plagued her early career. Positive reviews of her comedic performance opposite Dean Martin in 1969’s The Wrecking Crew led to a more confident Tate and her career was finally shaping up. In August of 1969, a very pregnant Tate (she was married to director Roman Polanski) and four others were murdered in the couple’s Benedict Canyon home by members of the infamous “Manson Family.” The grisly crime rightfully shocked the entertainment world and much of the country. The aftermath and trial were a sensation in the media. The killers’ potential paroles would lead to changes in the California Criminal Law to allow victims’ families the right to plea against parolees. Sharon’s mother, Doris, was a leading advocate to this cause and affected significant change for victims’ rights. So, in death, Sharon’s story would go on to help countless others receive the dignity and closure they deserved.

Burial

Holy Cross Cemetery – Culver City, CA

Specific Location

Saint Ann’s Section, L152, 6; To the west of the Grotto section in the triangular Saint Ann’s section, Sharon’s grave is 3 rows down from the Grotto and 5 spaces from the northern edge. Sharon’s mother, Doris, is also now buried here.

This entry was posted on April 3, 2014 at 12:59 pm and is filed under Holy Cross Cemetery with tags Actors, Holy Cross Cemetery (CA). You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.