Fisher Funeral Home is being sued for mistakenly cremating a woman’s body weeks ahead of schedule. Ivan Land, the lawyer of the woman’s family, said the lawsuit alleges breach of contract, fraudulent misrepresentation, and purposeful emotional distress.
The family had planned for visitation on December 16, followed by the funeral the next day and the cremation the day after. However, the woman’s body was cremated at the start of December and it took more than a week for the family to be informed.
Rhonda Hollis passed away suddenly in late November. Her daughter, Saijae Hollis, told WXYZ, “I’m supposed to be at a viewing looking at my mom and I can’t.”
“The family could say their goodbyes and we’ll be able to cope from there, but it didn’t happen like that,” she lamented.
She said that on December 12, the funeral home in the Detroit region unexpectedly called her grandmother, Kathy Hollis.
Kathy Hollis recalled: “We got the call on December the 12th that Mr. Mike Fisher has said that her body was cremated that day.”
Rhonda Hollis’s body was actually cremated on December 4, according to a Fisher Funeral Home spokesperson, but the family wasn’t informed until December 12.
In a written statement, the spokesperson explained that “because of a mistake, a person who was supposed to be cremated after a memorial service was cremated before.”
“We immediately apologized to the family and understand why they are upset. This is not reflective of the care that we provide to our community and we deeply regret that this has occurred. We have served southeast Michigan for nearly 70 years. Nothing like this has ever happened before nor will it again,” the funeral home also shared.
The Hollis family felt cheated. “I was just mad, upset,” Kathy Hollis recalled. “I was crying.”
“It don’t feel real,” Saijae Hollis added.
Attorney Land, who confirmed that he will file the lawsuit against Fisher Funeral Home, stated, “You cannot make a mistake when you’re dealing with someone’s loved one that’s passed away.”
The aggrieved daughter, Saijae Hollis, vented, “I’m hoping that my family get closure. I’m hoping that we can figure out what happened to my mom in that timespan of her being at the funeral home. I just want answers.”
