ARIZONA

Arizona has mourned past governors in many ways. Here's some of the history

Andrew Oxford
Arizona Republic

The honors that follow the death of an Arizona governor can range from a memorial service at the state Capitol to more intimate religious services.

The tone and tenor of the events depend on the governor.

Public health precautions in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 could affect plans to honor Gov. Jane Dee Hull.

The first woman elected governor of Arizona, Hull died late Thursday at the age of 84, only hours after the death of her husband, Dr. Terry Hull, age 85. The Hull family said they died of natural causes.

Hull's family also said Friday they are considering the options for services.

The state is under a stay-at-home order through at least the end of April. The order discourages public gatherings and encourages physical distancing, precluding the sort of large memorial services that have marked the deaths of some of the state's former leaders.

Leading Arizona: A look at the state's governors

How has the state mourned past governors?

The state Capitol hosted a memorial service for Gov. Raul Castro, the only Mexican American ever elected governor of the state, after his death in 2015. Castro served in the 1970s. Gov. Doug Ducey spoke at his ceremony.

The Capitol also hosted a memorial service for Gov. Sam Goddard, who served one term in the 1960s, after he died in 2006.

And Gov. Wesley Bolin lay in state at the Capitol after his death in office in 1978.

Arizonans have held memorial services for governors elsewhere, too.

The Orpheum Theatre hosted a public memorial service for Gov. Rose Mofford after her death in 2016.

Services for Govs. Jack Williams and Paul Fannin were held at All Saints Episcopal Church after their deaths in 1998 and 2002, respectively.

The funeral for Gov. Evan Mecham was held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Union Hills Drive in Glendale after his death in 2008.

Where are Arizona's governors buried?

Castro's ashes are in a memorial at the Sedona Community Cemetery.

Most of the state's recent former governors are interred or have had their ashes scattered in the Phoenix area.

Mofford is buried at St. Francis Catholic Cemetery, for example.

Several governors are buried at Greenwood Memory Lawn Cemetery, including Sidney Preston Osborn, Paul Fannin, Robert Taylor Jones, Ernest McFarland and Rawghlie Clement Stanford.

Mecham is buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona.

Arizona's first governor, George W. P. Hunt, who served seven terms as the state's top elected official, is interred in a white pyramid in Papago Park. He got the idea while traveling in Egypt. Its vantage point offers a sweeping view of the Valley.

Contact Andrew Oxford at andrew.oxford@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter at @andrewboxford.

Arizona Governor George W.P. Hunt's Tomb as seen in 1969.