John Switzer, the superintendent of Highland Memorial Cemetery, is retiring this month after a 33-year career highlighted by significant improvements to the 14-acre property.
“It’s the best job I ever had,” said Switzer, 81, who will be relocating with his wife to Arizona to be closer to their children and grandchildren. “The chance to help people through a difficult situation and provide their loved ones a final resting place has been a special privilege.”
John “Linky” Erskine has been hired by the Highland Memorial Cemetery Association Board of Directors to succeed Switzer. Erskine’s primary responsibilities will focus on the upkeep and continued improvement the grounds and equipment. His wife, Michelle, will be responsible for burial plot sales, records and details.
Both men had been colleagues at South Portland’s Parks Department, which Switzer headed for many years. He retired from that job in 2010. Erskine retired from the department in 2024.
Switzer faced myriad challenges when he took on the part-time job in December 1992. Some cemetery records were amiss, and the property itself had lacked regular upkeep. Few families chose the cemetery to bury loved ones. But by that point, said Switzer, “the board became more active,” and a master plan was envisioned that could “bring Highland Memorial Cemetery out of obscurity.”
The results are easy to see. Granite walls and entries, a granite sign, multiple flagpoles and a dramatic veterans’ monument and columbarium enhance the area closest to Highland Avenue. A gazebo and a large, two-story garage and storage facility have also been built during Switzer’s superintendency. With greater visibility, a little advertising and some word-of-mouth, the nonprofit, non-denominational cemetery has established itself as a popular burial site. Its open land, surrounded by woods and trails, has also attracted a strong community of dog walkers, walkers, bikers and hikers.
Tim Michaud, president of the board of directors, called Switzer “the heartbeat of the cemetery, from meeting with people at their saddest time to keeping the grounds in top condition.” He said the board anticipates that the level of services and compassion Switzer established will continue under the Erskines. For more information about the cemetery, see highlandmemorialcemetery.org.