Unclaimed Homeless New Yorkers Who Froze to Death to Receive Funeral
Generous donors and a funeral director are arranging a dignified service for nine individuals who died from hypothermia during last winter's cold snap.
Nine homeless individuals who died of hypothermia during New York City's severe cold last winter will receive a funeral service and permanent resting place. Their bodies had gone unclaimed by relatives and were slated for burial on Hart Island, the city's public cemetery.
The service is being organized by Rhonda Roland Shearer, founder of the nonprofit Art Science Research Laboratory and Cut Red Tape 4 Heroes, with support from Housing Works. The funeral will take place on Monday, November 2, at 5:30 p.m. during an All Souls Day Mass at St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue. The ashes of the deceased will be interred in the church's Resurrection Chapel.
These nine individuals were among 18 homeless people found dead outdoors during a cold period when temperatures dropped as low as 3 degrees Fahrenheit. The victims are:
- James Paul Smith, 51, died of hypothermia on Dec. 3, 2025, in the Bronx.
- Manjeet Singh, 38, originally from India, died Dec. 5, 2025, in Queens, with hypothermia contributing to his death.
- Harold Hemphill, 66, died of hypothermia on Dec. 13, 2025, in Washington Heights.
- Tomeka Ryeshera Gibson, 39, died of hypothermia on Dec. 22, 2025, in Harlem.
- Jorge Elias Rivera Torres, 61, born in Puerto Rico, died of hypothermia on Dec. 30, 2025, in Brooklyn.
- Jeffrey Costa, 47, died of hypothermia on Jan. 21, 2026, in Queens.
- Edward “Eduardo” Adames, 54, died of hypothermia on Jan. 24, 2026, in Manhattan.
- Jose M. “Joseph” Pena, 74, died of hypothermia on Feb. 3, 2026, in Queens.
- Igor Zapevalov, 64, originally from Russia, died of hypothermia on Feb. 10, 2026, in the East Village.
Patrick J. Marmo, owner of International Funeral & Cremation Services of New York, donated the funeral arrangements. Shearer expressed hope that the service would raise awareness of the vulnerable individuals who die on the streets each winter and encourage the city to improve its preparations for future cold weather events.
All Souls Day is a Christian observance that honors those who have died.