The family of Euvy Rodney, a 93-year-old great-grandmother, is seeking accountability and answers, alleging that the J. Foster Phillips Funeral Home in Jamaica, Queens, cremated her against her final wishes. Rodney, who died on July 8, had expressed a desire to be buried in her home country of Guyana, next to her own grandmother, according to a death certificate provided by the family.
Christine Weaver, one of Rodney's 11 children, stated that the family feels they have lost their mother twice, having been denied the opportunity to fulfill her burial wishes and reclaim her ashes. "We have no closure for our mother," Weaver said, adding, "For all she has done on earth, that's how you treat her?"
Civil Rights Leader Rev. Kevin McCall held a press conference outside the funeral home on Monday, calling for an investigation into the facility. "No funeral home should be called a funeral home if they don't have dignity and they don't have respect for a family - they robbed this family of that," McCall stated, urging the state to investigate and calling for the funeral home to be shut down immediately.
Attorneys John Eleftrakis and Wayne Wattley of EEP Law Firm are investigating the matter on behalf of the family and indicated that a lawsuit could be considered. The family plans to hold a symbolic funeral for Rodney on Friday in Queens.
J. Foster Phillips Funeral Home Inc. issued a statement expressing sympathy for the family's distress and affirming their commitment to supporting them with care and compassion. The funeral home, a family-owned business serving the community for 97 years, stated, "We have always been committed to treating every individual with dignity, respect, and the highest standard of care." They added that they remain committed to accountability and honoring the trust placed in them, but would provide no further comment at this time out of respect for those involved.