Between Hearst Castle and Citizen Kane, William Randolph Hearst has loomed large for me as a historical figure.  I’ve visited Hearst Castle several times and always marveled both at its sheer opulence and outright garishness.  Hearst Castle is famous for its splendid pools but those were more famous architect Julia Morgan’s creation rather than that of Hearst.  For all his money, he didn’t have good taste.  His yellow journalism was both distasteful and a had a major impact on country.

I wondered, where does a man like this end up buried?   Hearst is buried at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in the city of Colma.  Colma, just south of San Francisco, is a city with many more dead people than living ones.  The Hearst Family Crypt is an impressive structure but doesn’t live up to the grandeur of Hearst’s Castle though it’s certainly more tasteful.   For a man who was larger than life, his final resting place is only just typical for a wealthy family’s crypt.