International search launched for homeless Sydney man Frank Lawlor

A SEARCH to find relatives of a homeless Sydney man who died four weeks ago has moved overseas. Frank Lawlor has been remembered by charity workers as “a gentle soul”.

A funeral service for Frank Lawlor was held at the Ashfield Uniting Church.

IT MAY well be a sign of the times: a homeless man dies, no one knows who he is and no family can be found.

An international search has been launched to find the family of Frank Lawlor, who died after suffering a heart attack in the CBD four weeks ago. His body has remained unclaimed ever since and despite police efforts, no next of kin has been found.

Homelessness charity Exodus Foundation held a pauper’s funeral for Mr Lawlor last Tuesday and dozens of volunteers turned up to pay their respects.

Among them was Jill Trochei, who volunteered at the Exodus food van where Mr Lawlor had an evening meal each Tuesday for the past 12 years. Ms Trochei was there when he suddenly collapsed.

“All the volunteers knew him and he was always so polite,” she said.

“He was very cautious about his possessions and his clothes. He was really one of life’s gentle souls.

“There are so many people like Frank and it’s so sad no family can be found. It really is a reflection of the times.”

Volunteers for homeless charity attended the funeral service for Frank Lawlor.

Mr Lawlor was identified from a set of fingerprints from 1983, when he was arrested in Sydney for vagrancy. The records also showed he was born in 1953 in Dublin, Ireland, from where he emigrated in 1976 to Australia.

He was not receiving welfare benefits and no records are held by the Irish Consulate. But Mr Lawlor’s story has made headlines in Ireland, with media running an appeal to find his relatives.

Exodus founder Reverend Bill Crews said Mr Lawlor’s ashes would be held in Ashfield until any family could be found.

Mr Crews said there were hundreds of homeless people like Mr Lawlor in Sydney.

Rev. Bill Crews speaks at the funeral service for Frank Lawlor at Ashfield Uniting Church.

“We walk past more and more homeless people every day and they tend to become anonymous,” he said. “They’ve fallen off the radar of their families and society.

“How is it that after four weeks, no one has missed this man? How can it be that no family can be found?”

Anyone with information about Mr Lawlor that would help police should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 300 000.