Librarian's burial delayed more than a year amid absence of burial order

A funeral home operator in Kingston was forced to store a body for more than a year because attempts to get a burial order from a relative proved futile.

The operator of Michael's Mortuary & Funeral Services contacted the police this week to assist in locating the relative of the deceased. The police located the relative and the document was handed over.

On Tuesday, the body of 58-year-old librarian Doreen Clementson, of  Washington Gardens, St Andrew, who died of natural causes at her home on October 20, 2022, was finally laid to rest at the Thetford Park Cemetery in Old Harbour, St Catherine.

A manager at the funeral home explained that a funeral was held early last year at a church in Patrick City, St Andrew.

“After the funeral service we had to take the body back to the funeral home for storage because there was no burial order. The relative who had possession of it, just did not hand it over.

“A deceased cannot be buried without a burial order. The funeral home suffered financial losses because of the lengthy delay in burial, all because someone refused to hand over the burial order,” the manager said.

No money was paid towards storage and burial so the funeral home had to stand all the expenses.

Commenting further, the manager said “so this week we had to seek the intervention of the police at the Duhaney Park police station in St Andrew and fortunately the burial order was handed over.

“It is such a relief that the deceased was laid to rest on Tuesday,” the manager added.

A representative of the Registrar General's Department explained today that there are steps to be followed when a burial order is lost or there are disputes over the release of burial orders.

She said the matter should be reported immediately to the police or a Justice of the Peace who will give a written statement outlining the problem being faced by the complainant so that another burial order can be issued.

- Barbara Gayle

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