Death Notification, 1972, by John Clarke

From MemoryArchive

Who: John Clarke
What: Death notification to a next of kin
When: March 1972
Where: Toronto

In March of 1972, I was a new Constable with the Metropolitan Toronto Police Force, and had graduated from the Police College in Aylmer Ontario. I was working with a training officer, before being permitted to be on my own.

One day, we received a call re a sudden death and were to attend at a hospital to investigate. Apparently, an elderly man had collapsed in a barber’s chair. This was to be my first call of this type.

On arrival at the hospital, my partner informed me that it was time for me to ‘do a call’, and this one was mine. To this point, I had never seen a dead body (outside of a glimpse at funerals). I was most nervous, as I had to determine if this was a natural death or if the detectives had to be notified. Even though the hospital staff had done their thing, I still had to examine the body and then search it for valuables. There is a lot more to it than just this, but to keep it simple I finished up at the hospital and then headed to the address on the deceased identity papers to notify the next of kin.

The deceased was 80yrs old as I remember it, and had been in excellent health for his age. He had gone for his regular haircut when suddenly he collapsed in the barber's chair... dying of a heart attack.

When we arrived at the house that he had lived with his wife of many years, I felt nothing but dread. My partner and I were invited into the neat and well kept small house that the deceased and his wife had lived in for most of their marriage. I informed the elderly lady that her husband had collapsed in the barber’s chair and was rushed to the hospital, but that he had passed away. To see the pain and anguish in that old woman’s eyes at that moment will stay with me forever. While we were trying to consol her, I glanced around the living room and saw many mementos of their life together... and now she was alone. A close neighbour came in to be with her while she started to contact other family members, and we could take our leave and I could begin the paperwork required.

Notification of the next of kin was the worst job I had to do in 25 years of Police work. It never got easier.