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# Presidential circus comes to town
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/presidential-circus-comes-to-town/
- Published: 2004-06-07T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T04:30:50.000Z
- Author: Carolyn Sackariason
- Tags: local, Montana, #archive-import

*Nancy Reagan scheduled to arrive in SM today*

MID CITY — Thousands of people converged on this quiet residential neighborhood over the past two days to pay their respects to one of the most popular presidents in U.S. history.

The blocks surrounding Gates Kingsley & Gates Moeller- Murphy Funeral Home at the corner of 20th Street and Arizona Avenue have been closed to traffic since early Saturday afternoon when it was announced that former President Ronald Reagan died at his Bel Air home.

Reagan’s body was transported to the funeral home a few hours after he died. When news hit that Reagan had passed on and his body was being brought to Santa Monica, hundreds of people began congregating at the intersection.

Cathy and Frank Bennett, and their friend Tom Gorman, who all live north of Montana Avenue, saw the news on TV and immediately came to the funeral home with American flags in tow. They were some of the first people to arrive on the scene — with only a few news trucks already there and broadcasting live. Within a couple of hours, news trucks lined the middle lanes of 20th Street and Arizona Avenue. By Sunday afternoon, the media outnumbered citizens by 3 to 1.

“I could have watched it on TV, but I wanted to contribute,” said Gorman, who works in the music industry. “I’m here for the celebration of a life that accomplished a lot and was well lived — he left a mark on the planet.”

Santa Monica resident Nancy Morse, who was walking off her lunch, stuck around to watch the events unfold. She said she was surprised that President Reagan would have chosen Santa Monica.

“I don’t live in that upscale of a neighborhood,” she said. “I would have thought he would have gone to another place more upscale, more noteworthy.”

The Santa Monica Police Department, which has operational plans in place for special circumstances like this, descended upon the area just in time to begin managing the scene. SMPD Lt. Clinton Muir and Sgt. Jay Trisler organized media trucks to serve as barriers from the crowds and police activity. Hundreds of police personnel were on hand to control the growing crowds, most of whom were aching to catch a glimpse of the motorcade arriving with the president’s body. But they became a bit unruly and frustrated when LAPD officers led the procession through the alley between 19th and 20th streets instead of in front of the funeral home.

Residents who live behind the funeral home also grew a bit frustrated when they were told by secret service that they wouldn’t be able to move their cars from their parking spaces for up to 48 hours. Clearly inconvenienced, one woman said the president picked the wrong day to die — she had to be somewhere.

“What a horrible day to die,” she said. “He was a nice guy, but come on.”

Others were upset because they were told to move their cars off the street. Some were even towed.

“It’s been a bizzaro day,” said Becky Heath. “It’s a zoo around here.”

Others questioned why so much police and CIA presence was necessary. Snipers were stationed on adjacent rooftops, the Reagan family’s secret service personnel guarded the building, and police were deployed into strategic areas.

Although the costs have not yet been tallied, there will be considerable expense to the city of Santa Monica for the two days Reagan’s body has been here.

Gloria Kabbash, a retired Santa Monican who has lived here most of her life, said what she remembers most about Reagan was his accomplishments as a politician and an actor.

“I loved the man dearly... I think President Reagan was loved by a lot of people,” she said. “I like when he told those Russians to knock down that damn wall.”

Kabbash said she feels for the family, especially because of the pain they have had to endure watching the former president deteriorate from Alzheimer’s Disease.

“My father died of the disease too,” she said. “It is the worst disease ever.”

Nancy Reagan is expected to arrive at the funeral home this morning to escort her husband’s body to the Reagan Library in the Simi Valley. SMPD Chief James T. Butts Jr. has been invited to ride in the motorcade.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/060704-02_03.jpg)

Santa Monica Police Department Sgt. (Photo: Carolyn Sackariason/Daily Press)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/060704-02_04.jpg)

(Left to right) Tom Gorman, and Frank and Cathy Bennett watch the Belmont Stakes horse race from a news truck. (Photo: Carolyn Sackariason/Daily Press)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 7, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/060704.pdf?ref=smdp.com)