According to details in this article from CBC Canada Royal Air Force glider pilot veteran Gordon Patrick was buried at the Green Acres Cemetery outside of Winnipeg, Manitoba, following his death in 1973.  For whatever reason, probably at least partially because he was estranged from his daughter, Elizabeth Patrick, who lived in Great Britain, no monument or marker was ever erected.

It appears that all was fine until Gordon Patrick’s grandson, Patrick Moulden, a clearance diver with the Royal Canadian Navy died in 2022. Moulden was buried at the Field of Honor in Woodland Cemetery in Burlington, Ontario.

Then in May of this year Elizabeth Patrick had decided to have her father disintered and moved to the same cemetery where her son now lays in rest.  According to the CBC Canada article, here’s what happened at that time”

“In May, wanting to have her father’s remains relocated to a cemetery in Ontario where her son is buried, Patrick — who lives in England — had the grave excavated. That’s when it was found to be empty.”

Since the elder Patrick’s burial in 1973 the cemetery ownership has passed through the Loewen Group, Alderwoods, and is now owned by Service Corporation International (SCI).  Again, according to the article, Elizabeth Patrick states that “she initially had a positive and reciprocal relationship with Service Corporation International leading up to the excavation, and the company even agreed to waive its estimated $9,000 cost.  But she says communication with SCI, which owns Green Acres, has slowed since early June, after the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police)  forensics unit carried out the first of two ground-penetrating radar searches in an effort to find any trace of her father.”

The article states that Ms. Patrick is now hearing from SCI’s legal counsel.  The article mentions that SCI’s e-mailed stance is “to say the company isn’t liable for the missing body, because he was buried before it took ownership of the cemetery. . . . . Given “the changes in ownership and organizational history of the prior owners,” the company believes “that Green Acres holds no liability.” 

Troy Harwood-Jones, a lawyer with PKF Lawyers is quoted in the article saying that “. . .the Manitoba Cemeteries Act could also make SCI liable. . . . The cemetery company will not be able to show that it’s met the requirements of the act by failing to keep proper records.”

Related — Here is a CBC News broadcast of the situation

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Funeral Director Daily take:  This will be one case that is interesting to follow.  I don’t make the laws and holding SCI liable for something that happened at the cemetery 30 years prior to their ownership is pretty onerous, in my opinion.  On the other hand, if they agreed to buy the cemetery and take on all “rights and responsibilities” of previous ownership, this looks like a responsibility of previous ownership.

How could this situation happen?  Where are the remains of the elder Mr. Patrick?  One possible situation and my best guess is that it is a case of “transposed or incorrect numbers” placed on the decedent’s records at the cemetery.  Back in 1973 — before computers — many of the deceased in cemeteries had their records kept on index file cards with the information.  It could be something as simple as marking “Section 415” down as “Section 514” on an index card.  But I’m guessing that if they have had the Royal Mounted Police looking into this, those simple solutions have been looked at.

My guess is that Mr. Gordon Patrick is buried within the confines of the Green Acres Cemetery, it’s just that nobody knows where.

This case will be interesting to follow and we hope to keep our readers up to date on what happens.

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Auction of Buddha’s Cremation Jewels Causing Controversy

Sotheby’s Hong Kong has plans to auction a collection of 331 gemstones known as the “Piprahwa Gems,” unearthed in 1898 in Piprahwa, Uttar Pradesh, India. However, those plans may be squashed based on where the gems were found — or, more accurately, with whom they were buried.

That’s because the relics, including amethysts, garnets, pearls, and gold, were discovered alongside bone fragments identified by an ancient Pali inscription as belonging to the Buddha himself. 

They date from around 240–200 BCE, and many believe that the gems hold sacred significance and should not be separated from Buddha’s remains — or, at the very least, should be placed in a venerated location and not sold to the highest bidder.

Buddhist backlash

According to multiple outlets, the auction is facing backlash from the Indian government and Buddhist communities worldwide. India’s Ministry of Culture issued a legal notice to Sotheby’s, asserting that the relics are sacred and inalienable cultural property. They argued that the sale would violate Indian heritage laws and international conventions, including those under UNESCO. The government demanded the auction’s cancellation, repatriation of the relics, and a public apology from both Sotheby’s and the consignor, Chris Peppé, a descendant of the British colonialist who excavated the site. 

In response to the legal and ethical concerns, Sotheby’s postponed the auction, removing promotional materials and agreeing to further discussions. The auction house maintained that it had conducted due diligence regarding the legality and provenance of the items. 

Sacred objects

Buddhist scholars and monastic leaders condemned the proposed sale, emphasizing that relics like the Piprahwa Gems are not mere artifacts but sacred objects imbued with the Buddha’s presence. In Buddhist tradition, such relics, known as śarīra, are pearl or crystal-like beads found among the cremated ashes of spiritual masters. They are considered evidence of the masters’ enlightenment and are venerated in stupas and temples. 

The controversy also highlights the enduring impact of colonial-era excavations and the ongoing debates over the rightful ownership and repatriation of cultural and religious artifacts. While some argue that the auction could provide funds for Buddhist institutions, critics contend that monetizing sacred relics is sacrilegious and perpetuates historical injustices.

What happens when deceased human remains remain unclaimed?  In the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador that situation is causing a problem.  According to this article there is no easy solution on the human disposition of deceased human beings who are either unidentified or in a situation that the family does not claim them simply because finances for death care of the relatives is limited.

According to the article from the BBC Canada the morgue at the Health Sciences Center has had to hold the remains in portable freezer containers located outside the morgue building.  At the time of the article it was mentioned that the containers held 28 bodies.

Here’s what the article says about the issue,  “Sources say the situation is growing worse. The morgue has had bodies piled up two per stretcher and in the hallways. The cold storage units have never been this full.

And as prices rise across the board, Newfoundland and Labrador’s population grows older. About 5,500 people die here every year. As more people can’t afford to claim the remains, the province’s solution is the (portable) freezer units.”

Because of laws that don’t specifically give the authorities the ability to take care of the disposition of these remains, the situation continues to cause a problem.  Here’s what the article says of that:

• Current laws don’t fully cover death by natural causes or lay out who has the authority to dispose of bodies. 
• There are also no potter’s fields — or common graves — to bury unknown and unclaimed bodies.
• That leaves the bodies in limbo, since if N.L. Health Services were to unilaterally decide to cremate a body, it’s possible a relative might come forward after the fact to claim that’s not what the person wanted. 

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Funeral Director Daily take:  This is a tough situation to deal with and I sympathize with those who have to come up with a solution.  All government entities should be aware of this situation as I can see it happening in the near future in other places, including the United States.

In the USA there seems to be more and more issues with mental health and displaced persons than we have ever dealt with before.  Many of these people may have become dis-engaged from their family over time and at the time of death relatives may not be able to be located to take care of the situation.

In addition, if you believe news reports we have approximately 10 million new people who have came to America in the past four years.  Many of these people may have no relatives in the United States, and little financial support, at this time.  What will happen to those in that cohort that have no relatives here and die in the United States?  Disposition of remains, in that situation, will more than likely be a local  government responsibility – a responsibility that will cost the local government and in reality, local taxpayers.

Finally, what about those whose family may not have a responsibility to cover funeral costs and do not claim the body simply because finances are very limited?  I can envision this happening more often, especially if the default selection is for direct cremation by government authorities and then giving the next of kin the cremated remains.  That position would serve the purpose of the families – cremation – with no out-of-pocket costs.

Final Thought:  As I was writing this piece the famous death care quote of Sir William Gladstone came to mind.  Gladstone served Great Britain in the 19th century as a four-term Prime Minister.  His famous quote, which was on the wall of our funeral home was such:

“Show me the manner in which a nation cares for its dead, and I will measure with mathematical exactness the tender mercies of its people, their respect for the laws of the land and their loyalty to high ideals.”

The dignity of human life is important to me. . . and I think to all funeral directors.  With murders, drug overdoses, and suicide deaths all up in America I wonder what we don’t see about the “Value of Life” in our society?  And, is Gladstone right. . . in that how we handle death care reflects on those values, or as he puts it “mercies, respect . . and high ideals”?

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