Woman's funeral had no attendees, so 30 strangers showed up

[Hum]

ORANGETOWN, N.Y. (AP) — About 30 people have paid their respects to a woman they never met after responding to a call for attendees for a suburban New York funeral at which no one was expected to show up.

 

The Journal News reports (http://lohud.us/2bCMJcf) the strangers served as Francine Stein's pallbearers and also helped bury her during the service Wednesday at a cemetery in Orangetown.

 

Stein died at the age of 83. Rabbi Elchanan Weinbach officiated the service and says there was no eulogy because he didn't know anything about the woman. He learned at the cemetery that Stein was a musician and had taught at the Julliard School.

 

The call for volunteers came on Facebook from Weinbach's daughter.

 

One attendee said she came to the service as a simple act of "human decency."

 

source

 

full story with pics

Edited August 22, 2016 by Hum

[The Rev]

Wish this would happen more often, because it is too common that people die without someone to mourn their loss and see to their burial (if only as a spectator)...  Good on these people for recognizing that the loss of anyone deserves to be mourned.

[JustinCharlier Veteran]

I just wish more people would do this, and not quickly refuse and dismiss it because they don't even know who the person is.

 

We need more of those lovely chaps.