Community pays respects to Henry Segerstrom

True to his legacy in Orange County, Henry T. Segerstrom’s day of remembrance Saturday at Fairhaven Memorial Park exuded every bit of what the real estate giant brought to the county: arts, elegance, luxury and philanthropy.

Draped in white flowers, the hall of Fairhaven Memorial led hundreds of Orange County residents to the casket of Segerstrom, who died Feb. 20 at the age of 91.

They stood over to pay respect to the farmer who used his family’s lima bean plot to build the luxurious South Coast Plaza and donated much of his wealth to Costa Mesa’s performing arts center.

“He was always very kind to me,” said Santa Ana resident Connie Hamilton, 59. “He was a very shrewd businessman, but I’m mostly impressed with what he did for the county. He’s really given a whole legacy to this county for generations to come.

To the side of Segerstrom’s casket, a quartet played musical instruments. Across the room, there was a display of the Purple Heart medal and the European Theater of Operations Ribbon with Battle Star he received in 1945 for his service during World War II.

“We know he sacrificed for his country and his family has done a lot for Costa Mesa by creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and putting Costa Mesa on the map,” Costa Mesa resident Scott Williams said.

Anaheim resident Stanley Douglas, 76, happened to be at Fairhaven visiting his wife, who is buried there, when he noticed the open visitation set up for Segerstrom. He walked in to pay respect to a person he said was a great philanthropist for culture and arts.

Monitors showed three videos: One was of his legacy, narrated by his son, Anton. Another was a silent film with images of his life, and the third was a retrospect of his life, said Sean St-Louis, co-founder of Orange County Films, who operates the Segerstrom Media Lab.

Relying on a walker, Santa Ana resident Susan Griset Van der Roest slowly made her way down the hall to Segerstrom’s casket. She stood there to pay her respects, then made her way to one of the monitors that displayed his photos.

Van der Roest said her family has been in Orange County since 1898, just like the Segerstroms. The Van der Roest’s farm land was next to the Segerstroms’ land. Growing up, Van der Roest, 62, would hear stories from her father and grandfather about the Segerstrom family, she said.

While the two families didn’t socialize, the farm was what connected them, Van der Roest said.

“I’m here to connect with the past, to connect with what’s gone, to honor that,” she said.