On December 22, 2015, the body of Lonnie W. Lewis, an unclaimed decedent, was discovered in Tacoma, Washington. The 70-year-old man passed away due to natural causes while residing at the Manor Care of Tacoma. The case, filed under Namus ID: UCP2536, was managed by the Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office. Despite the notification of his family, they were unable to claim his remains due to financial constraints. Consequently, Mr. Lewis's body was entrusted to a rotation funeral home, and his remains were later cremated.
Following the cremation of Lonnie W. Lewis's remains, his ashes were returned to the Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office, where they remained unclaimed for over a year. According to the office's policy, unclaimed cremains are given a dignified farewell in a specific manner. In this case, the staff of the Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office conducted a ceremony to scatter Mr. Lewis's remains at sea on August 30, 2017. This action was taken to honor his memory in a respectful way, even in the absence of family members able to oversee his final rites.
The handling of Lonnie W. Lewis’s unclaimed remains is a somber reminder of the silent struggles that some families face when it comes to the financial implications of death. The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office, located at 3619 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, Washington, continues to facilitate these delicate cases, providing respectful resolutions for individuals like Mr. Lewis. Anyone seeking further information on this case or other matters can contact the office directly at 253-798-6494. This situation underlines the importance of community support and systems that ensure dignified conclusions for the unclaimed deceased.
Date Found: 12/22/2015
