Vigil at Pauper’s Field honors Tucson homeless people who died in 2024

For several minutes during a gathering at a Tucson cemetery as dusk fell Friday, three members of Primavera Foundation read the names of more than 200 people who died without shelter in Pima County this year. 

After each name was read, a small bell rang, as about 40 people listened to the roll.

Since 1990, cities across the U.S. have marked these deaths as part of National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, often marking the event with a vigil on the longest night of the year, the winter solstice, which falls on Dec. 21. This year, the day fell on Friday, just before the solstice. 

Primavera Foundation has marked the annual event for around two decades at Pauper’s Field at Evergreen Cemetery.

After reading the names, Rabbi Stephanie Aaron, with Congregation Chaverim, and Pastor Naomi Hartman, with Lutheran Church of the Foothills, spoke about the importance of hope in troubled times and the dignity and humanity of those who live at the edges. 

Then, members of the public were invited to place carnations on the graves.

“One death is too many,” said Margarita Bauzá, the chief human resources officer and a spokeswoman for Primavera. 

Pima County officials identified more than 200 people who died on Tucson’s streets over the past year, including seven military veterans. Another 63 remain unidentified. The youngest person was 21 years old, the oldest was 81, she said. 

“The deaths are a reflection of us as a society, as a nation, as Tucsonans,” Bauzá said, adding the top three causes of death were overdose, pedestrian deaths and hypothermia. “These are preventable deaths.” 

She told the story of one man, Jeff Fenchak who struggled with serious medical issues, including a stroke, through 2023. He died in March. 

“It shook the team,” she said. “Jeff was a big guy. We all knew him. He was generous and very funny.”

“His presence continues to be missed at the drop-in center,” Bauzá said. “I tell you this story not only to honor Jeff, because it also captures the essence of what Primavera does every day, the memorial has become a part of us, because the memorial is the reality for those we serve. Primavera believes in the intrinsic value of every individual. Everyone has a voice, and everyone has the ability to reach one’s potential.” 

“Our nation is in a crisis of poverty and homelessness, but we are also in a crisis of social isolation and loneliness,” she said. “As we pause reflect, grieve and honor, let us not forget to act. What can you do?” She asked for people to offer or sell land for housing, to give away or repurpose clothes, belonging and furniture. She also asked people to check on their neighbors and to “see” those in need. 

“The need is so great, it takes each and every one of us in all of our respective roles and positions to move the needle on poverty and homelessness,” Bauzá said. 

Dr. Greg Hess, the chief medical examiner for Pima County, said around 13,000 people died per year in Pima County, however with a subset of deaths, “we don’t have anyone to make arrangements for them.” Hess said there has been a decrease in the number of unhoused deaths from 2023 to 2024, and overdose deaths also decreased. 

Research shows nationally at least 20 people experiencing homelessness died each day, including as many as 7,877 people in 2020, according to data compiled by Homeless Deaths Count.

However, according to annual point-in-time count conducted by local homeless advocates in January 2024, the number of people experiencing homelessness dropped about 15 percent from last year. This downtrend follows a 300 percent increase from 2018 and 2023, according to the annual survey. 

In January, there were 2,100 people experiencing a lack of shelter. Of those, around 821 were living in emergency shelter or other temporary housing, while the rest were living outside in parks, washes, encampments or elsewhere.

“In our tradition, we say that we leave soul prints in the world,” said Rabbi Aaron. “And so these bells ring out for us to remember the soul prints these individuals left in the world.” Aaron said as people in Tucson go about their lives, they should remember those who are homeless who may feel isolate or forgotten. “We’re going to remember who they were.” 

“The fabric of our community consists of sheltered and unsheltered neighbors,” said Primavera Outreach Services Director Randi Arnett in a statement. “When we lose threads needlessly due to our neighbors being unhoused and on the streets, it affects the entire community. To all who have passed while being unhoused, your passing is more than a difficult goodbye. It is an opportunity to share your memory and uplift your stories.”

In the fading light, one woman laid carnations across the gravestones.