Mum shocked to be told her partner’s funeral was cancelled and she’d need to have him ‘picked up’ from morgue

A grieving woman says she was told over the phone to get her partner “picked up” from a funeral director’s as they were no longer able to do his service.

Sonya Smith’s long-term partner Rich Birch, 51, died from a burst brain aneurysm on October 3.

Rich collapsed in front of his nine-year-old son, Riley, and Sonya, and the family agreed to have his organs donated, Hull Live report.

The 41-year-old, of Hull, had organised Heavenly Funeral Services to handle the cremation and service for Rich.

The devastated mum says she has been struggling to cope with the death of her partner, and said receiving the phone call felt like “being kicked when I was already down”.

She was contacted by Heavenly Funeral Services, which was run by Simon Woolsten, who sadly passed away suddenly this month.

The funeral home had already had Rich’s body for a week at the time of the call, and Sonya’s appointment was due to take place the following day to discuss the funeral arrangements.

She said: “I was taking my son to school when I got a phone call from a not very sympathetic and abrupt voice said ‘I’m sorry but we are not able to do the funeral any more and we want you to get him picked up’.

“I was just so shocked. I don’t even remember what I said in response. I felt like saying ‘what on earth am I supposed to do, send a taxi?’

“I’ve never had to do anything like this before and didn’t even know what to say, I just said ‘what do I do?'”

Fortunately, Sonya was able to go straight to her son’s school office, at St Richards VC Academy, in Marfleet Lane, where staff and teachers have been supporting the family through their trauma.

Staff there got on the phone to Heavenly Services, and also arranged for another funeral director to collect Rich’s body and handle the funeral.

Sonya said: “I was in the right place at the right time, they’ve been amazing. Without them, I think I’d have had a nervous breakdown.

“I felt like I had been punched in the stomach when they rang and told me. I don’t like to think about what might have happened if Riley’s school hadn’t helped me. I was just in bits.”

“But I just worry for the other families who must have been affected as well, who might not have the support that I do, and how they’re feeling right now.”

Rich had lived with Sonya, his partner of 15 years, in Greatfield, east Hull, with their son Riley nine, and Sonya’s older son from a previous relationship.

Rich discovered he had a brain aneurysm in 2013, after he was scanned following a mild stroke.

He lived with the knowledge that it could burst at any time, and it went on the Sunday morning of October 3, when he was at home with Sonya and Riley.

Sonya agreed to donate his organs while he was on life support after being told he was brain dead. Surgeons managed to transplant his kidneys and liver, and his heart was used for medical research.

His funeral, which is now being handled by Mike East Funeral Services, is now scheduled for October 28.

Meanwhile Heavenly Funeral Service’s paid tribute to Simon last week, following his sudden death on October 11.

The well-known businessman, who was also involved in creating Hull Pride, left behind husband Mod.

Heavenly Funeral Services did not respond to Hull Live’s request for comment.

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