Parents concerned buried ashes at son Derek Roberts’ grave site don’t actually belong to him

A northern beaches mum was left heartbroken after receiving a letter from a funeral company claiming her son was not buried at the plot she has visited for the past 12 years. The funeral director has since said the letter was an error — but the family’s not convinced.

Trevor and Carolyne Roberts hold a photograph of deceased son Derek in their home at Belrose. Picture: (AAP IMAGE / Troy Snook)

• Yachtie’s $1500 fine for not wearing a life jacket
• Vote for the best burgers on the northern beaches

A mother was left heartbroken after receiving a letter claiming her son was not buried at the plot she has been visiting for the past 12 years.

Derek Roberts died aged just 33 at the family home back in 2006 from an undiagnosed heart problem.

Parents Trevor and Carolyne, from Belrose, have been visiting and tending to what they believed to be his final resting place at Davidson’s Bushland Cemetery for 12 years.

The grave site of Derek Roberts.

That was until they received a letter last month from TJ Andrews Funeral Services.

“The cremated remains of Derek Trevor Roberts are being cared for by Tj Andrews,” the letter read.

“We have been caring for the ashes since 2006, we are now looking at scattering the ashes on church grounds … If we don’t hear from you in a month from this date, we will scatter them.”

Carolyne said she was shocked and upset on receiving the letter.

“We bought a plot at the cemetery and we would regularly visit and talk to him. To then be told it might not be him was terrible,” she said.

Derek Roberts.

When she called up Tj Andrews for an explanation, she was told that it was down to a database error and the letter should never have been sent out.

“I can assure her that they are her son’s ashes at the plot,” Sonja Pemberton from Tj Andrews said.

“This was simply a letter sent out in error. I am so apologetic about what has happened. We have sent flowers but I realise they mean nothing with something like this. I am truly sorry.”

Ms Pemberton said the worker who had sent the letter out had been dismissed.

She could not be certain if other letters had been sent out but said she had only received one response, from Mrs Roberts.

Frenchs Forest Bushland Cemetery in Davidson Picture: Beth Robertson

After sending the flowers, Tj Andrews sent a letter of apology to the family in which both Derek and Carolyne’s names were spelt incorrectly.

“I can’t be sure about whether it is my son or not,” Ms Roberts said. “But I have just got to put this to the back of my mind now. I have to tell myself that it is my son there and it is him we have been visiting all these years.”

She added: “I just don’t know how something like this can happen, it’s terrible.”