105 N.H.

290 (1964)

JOHN S. HOLLAND, Adm'r w.w.a. & a. v. GEORGE E!AL"O#S & a.

No. 5234. S$%r&m& '($r) (* N&w Ham%+,-r&. Hearing February 27, 1964. Order Issued February 27, 1964. Opinion Filed Mar ! 1", 1964. 291 Devine, Millimet, McDonough, Stahl & Branch and John S. Holland #Mr. Holland orally$, %or &!e plain&i%%s. 292 Snierson & Chandler #Mr. John P. Chandler orally$, %or &!e de%endan&s, and pro se as guardian ad litem. '() *+)I,M. In &!is ase &!e issue is -!e&!er .brie% and si/ple. %uneral ser0i es s!all be ondu &ed o0er &!e body o% 1ra e Me&alious. Her dea&!2bed -ill, e3e u&ed in 4os&on on February 24, 1964 in &!e presen e o% &!e plain&i%% *re/ens, a Massa !use&&s a&&orney, and o&!er -i&nesses, be5uea&!ed and de0ised !er en&ire es&a&e, a%&er &!e pay/en& o% deb&s, &o 6o!n )ees o% 4os&on. 7!e &!ird lause o% &!e -ill e3pressly s&a&ed &!a& no pro0ision -as /ade %or &!e &!ree !ildren o% &!e &es&a&ri3, .as I !a0e &!e %ulles& on%iden e &!a& &!ey -ill be pro0ided %or by 6o!n )ees, s!ould &!e need arise.. 4y &!e %our&! lause o% &!e -ill, &!e &es&a&ri3 le%& !er eyes &o &!e .(ye 4an8, 4os&on, Massa !use&&s.. 7!is pro0ision -as arried ou&. 7!e %i%&! lause o% &!e -ill -as as %ollo-s9 .I dire & &!a& no %uneral ser0i es be !eld %or /e, and &!a& /y body be gi0en &!e :ar&/ou&! ; !ool o% Medi ine, %or &!e purpose o% e3peri/en&a&ion in &!e in&eres& o% /edi al s ien e. I% :ar&/ou&! does no& a ep& &!en &o Har0ard Medi al ; !ool.. 7!e de%endan&s, -!o are &!e sur0i0ing spouse o% &!e de eden& and !er !ildren, ob<e &ed &o &!e arrying ou& o% &!e %i%&! lause, and i& is no& dispu&ed &!a& bo&! o% &!e /edi al s !ools na/ed in &!e lause de lined &o a ep& &!e de eden&=s body. 7!erea%&er on&rol o% &!e body -as released &o &!e %a/ily, and &!e li&iga&ion pre0iously ou&lined ensued. On February 27, 1964 &!is our& dis/issed &!e pe&i&ion broug!& by &!e appoin&ed represen&a&i0es o% &!e es&a&e, and s&a&ed &!a& an opinion -ould %ollo- a& a la&er da&e.

In 0ie- o% &!e pro0ision o% &!e %i%&! lause o% &!e -ill, dire &ing &!a& .no %uneral ser0i es be !eld %or /e,. &!e plain&i%%s properly soug!& &!e guidan e o% &!e ;uperior *our&, si&&ing in e5ui&y, a%&er i& be a/e apparen& &!a& &!e pro0isions o% &!a& lause rela&i0e &o disposi&ion o% &!e &es&a&ri3=s body ould no& be arried ou&, and &!e sur0i0ing spouse and ne3& o% 8in /ade 8no-n &!eir -is!es %or %uneral ser0i es. 7!e <urisdi &ion o% e5ui&y in su ! /a&&ers is un5ues&ioned. Wilson 0. Read, 74 N. H. 322> Lavigne 0. Wil inson, "? N. H. 221. Many ases -ill be %ound dealing -i&! &!e rig!&s and du&ies o% sur0i0ors -i&! respe & &o &!e disposi&ion o% &!e body o% a de eden&. Fro/ &!ose i& /ay be ga&!ered &!a& &!e general prin iple 293 a ep&ed in /os& <urisdi &ions is &!a& &!e sur0i0ing spouse and &!e ne3& o% 8in, in &!a& order, are a orded proprie&ary rig!&s &o de&er/ine /a&&ers rela&ing &o burial, a& leas& in &!e absen e o% &es&a/en&ary or o&!er dire &ion by &!e de eden&. 15 ,/. 6ur., :ead 4odies, ss. 9214> 25 *.6.;. 1?17, :ead 4odies, s. 3> 1rinnell, @egal )ig!&s in &!e )e/ains o% &!e :ead, 17 1reen 4ag 345. ;ee );, 611923. I& !as been said &!a& &!e -is!es o% a de eden& -ill be arried ou& so %ar as possible, bu& &!a& rig!&s in /a&&ers o% burial or disin&er/en& are no& absolu&e, and -ill be go0erned .by rules o% proprie&y and reasonableness de&er/inable by a our& o% e5ui&y upon due appli a&ion.. Wilson 0. Read, su!ra, 326. ;ee ,nno&. 21 ,.@.). 2d 472. .,nd su ! /e&!ods s!ould be adop&ed in dealing -i&! &!ese un%or&una&e dispu&es as are bes& al ula&ed &o rea ! <us& and e5ui&able resul&s, and &o in%li & &!e leas& &rouble and dis&ress upon &!e par&ies.. Lavigne 0. Wil inson, su!ra, 224. In &!e ordinary ase, ins&ru &ions by a de eden&, by -ill or o&!er-ise, -i&! respe & &o disposi&ion o% !is body or %uneral ser0i es or burial, s!ould be respe &ed and %ollo-ed in pre%eren e &o opposing -is!es o% !is sur0i0ors. 7!e rig!& &o .de en& burial. is one -!i ! !as long been re ogniAed a& o//on la-, and in -!i ! &!e publi as -ell as &!e indi0idual !as an in&eres&. 1rinnell, o!. cit., su!ra> 19 O!io ;&. @. 6. 455, 456. 7!is is apparen& %ro/ nu/erous s&a&u&ory pro0isions ena &ed o0er &!e years, pro0iding %or &!e .de en& burial. o% paupers #);, 16593$, o% &!e indigen& insane #);, 135927$, and o% un lai/ed bodies surrendered &o p!ysi ians and surgeons #);, 29191$ or /edi al s !ools #);, 611924$ .%or &!e ad0an e/en& o% ana&o/i al and /edi al s ien e.. );, 29191, 2. ,& &!e sa/e &i/e, &!e poli y o% using un lai/ed bodies &o ad0an e s ien&i%i s&udy !as been gi0en re ogni&ion o0er a period beginning a& leas& as early as 1"69. @a-s 1"69, 4?91. #);, 29191, su!ra$. I& /ay be no&ed !o-e0er, &!a& in &!e lig!& o% urren& /edi al ad0an es #see 1 'age on Bills #4o-e2'ar8er )e0.$, s. 16.19$, e3is&ing .ana&o/i al. s&a&u&es, su ! as );, !. 291, su!ra, are inade5ua&e, and &!e need %or appropria&e s&a&u&ory pro0ision &o i/ple/en& &!e desires o% &!e dying &o aid &!e li0ing is in reasingly urgen&. ;ee *o//en&9 7!e @a- o% :ead 4odies9 I/peding Medi al 'rogress, 19 O!io ;&. @. 6. 455 #195"$> 7!e @a- o% 7es&a/en&ary :isposi&ion C , @egal 4arrier &o Medi al ,d0an e, 3? 7e/ple @. D. 4? #1956$> No&e9 294 :ona&ion o% :ead 4odies and 'ar&s 7!ereo% %or Medi al +se, 21 +. 'i&&. @. )e0. 523 #196?$.

No issue arises in &!is ase on erning &!e 0alidi&y o% a &es&a/en&ary pro0ision %or dona&ion o% &!e body o% a &es&a&ri3 &o a /edi al s !ool %or s ien&i%i s&udy, sin e &!e donees na/ed in &!is -ill !a0e de lined &!e gi%&. ;i/ilarly &!ere is no issue in &!is ase on erning burial, or pla e o% burial. In &!e -ill o% &!is &es&a&ri3, &!e dire &ion &!a& .no %uneral ser0i es be !eld %or /e. -as oupled -i&! !er a&&e/p&ed dona&ion o% !er body %or s ien&i%i uses. 7!e pri/ary purpose o% &!e &es&a&ri3 !a0ing %ailed, i& -as no& unreasonable &o on lude &!a& &!e -is!es o% !er sur0i0ing spouse and !ildren s!ould &a8e pre eden e. Matter o" Currier, 3?? N. E. 162. In &!e ir u/s&an es presen&ed, denial by &!e ;uperior *our& o% an in<un &ion agains& &!e .brie% and si/ple. %uneral ser0i es proposed and desired by sur0i0ing rela&i0es anno& be !eld as a /a&&er o% la- &o be an abuse o% dis re&ion. , ordingly, &!e order -i&! respe & &o &!e pe&i&ion %iled in &!is our& is Petition dismissed.