Elizabeth Patrick had hoped that this Remembrance Day would bring closure to her nearly decade-long quest to find her estranged father’s grave, which ultimately led her to a cemetery outside Winnipeg. However, instead of closure, she is now working with Service Corporation International, a major U.S. funeral homes and services company, to reach a mutual agreement. This comes after her father’s grave, located at Green Acres Cemetery, was discovered to be empty during disinterment earlier this year.
Sgt. Gordon Patrick, a glider pilot for the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force during World War II, spent his final years in Winnipeg and passed away in 1973. He was laid to rest without a headstone, as he had no family in Canada. Elizabeth Patrick expressed her dismay, stating that no veteran should be left in a grave without proper recognition.
In May, Elizabeth, residing in England, arranged for her father’s remains to be relocated to a cemetery in Ontario where her son is buried. However, upon excavating the grave, it was found to be empty. Initially, she had a positive relationship with Service Corporation International, who had agreed to waive the estimated $9,000 cost. However, communication with SCI slowed down after the RCMP conducted ground-penetrating radar searches in June to locate any traces of her father.
SCI’s legal counsel informed Elizabeth in a letter dated July 30 that locating Sgt. Patrick’s remains on their property was deemed unlikely due to the passage of time and limited information from the previous owner of Green Acres. The company offered to cover the cost of a custom headstone. Elizabeth Patrick intended to move her father to the Field of Honour at Woodland Cemetery in Burlington, Ontario, to be beside her grandson, Patrick Moulden, a former Royal Canadian Navy clearance diver who passed away in 2022.
Despite her efforts, SCI rejected Elizabeth’s demand for compensation, citing that they are not liable for the missing body as the burial occurred before they acquired Green Acres in 2006. Elizabeth remains optimistic that SCI will provide a reasonable offer to help cover the expenses of the replica headstone and grant her father the veteran’s burial he deserves.
Winnipeg lawyer Troy Harwood-Jones suggested that SCI’s liability in this matter could hinge on the details of the cemetery’s sale and the Manitoba Cemeteries Act. Elizabeth Patrick is hopeful for a resolution to honor her father’s memory, especially on Remembrance Day, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and honoring every veteran.
