Memorial Day celebration May 25 at Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery in Mesa

Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery hosts its 26th annual Memorial Day celebration at a new 8 a.m. start time on Monday, May 25.

The free community tribute at 7900 E. Main St. in Mesa will bring together families, veterans, students, public officials and community organizations for a morning of patriotic music, wreath-laying, military honors and reflection before the heat of the day, according to a release.

For Mountain View, where more than 3,000 veterans have been laid to rest, Memorial Day is not simply a date on the calendar. It is a promise renewed each year: that sacrifice will be spoken aloud, service will be honored with reverence, and the stories resting beneath each flag will continue to be carried forward by the community those veterans helped protect, it states.

“Memorial Day means a lot to all of us at Mountain View,” said Elisa Krcilek, vice president of Mountain View Funeral Home & Cemetery. “Each flag, each wreath and each song is a reminder to families that their loved ones are still remembered here. Their sacrifice matters, and it’s powerful to see this community come together year after year to honor them.”

Patriotic music will be performed by the Josh Roy Band, with remarks from Apache Junction Mayor Chip Wilson and Pinal County Supervisor Jeff Serdy. Opening ceremonies will feature the Apache Junction Mounted Rangers, American Legion Post 27 Honor Guard, Skyline High School ROTC, Civil Air Patrol Falcon Composite Squadron 305 and a spiritual reflection by Sir Knight Rev. Robert King Sr.

One of the morning’s most solemn moments will be the ceremonial laying of wreaths, presented by community organizations in honor of fallen service members. Set among cemetery grounds lined with flags marking the resting places of veterans, the tribute is designed to bring generations together: those who served, those who loved them and those learning what service means.

Hospitality for guests include complimentary doughnuts, coffee, American flag pins, poppies, flowers, fans and water.

After the ceremony, guests are invited to join American Legion Post 27, VFW Post 7968 or VFW Post 9399 for lunch. Call 480-832-2850 for more details.

“Memorial Day has a way of bringing people back to what really matters,” said Greg Coury, owner of Mountain View Funeral Home & Cemetery. “For us, it is an honor to open our grounds to the community each year and create a place where people can pause, reflect and feel connected to something bigger than themselves.”

For information on Mountain View Funeral Home & Cemetery, call 480-832-2850 or visit mountainviewfuneralhomeandcemetery.com.