Jamshedpur: In a poignant farewell that blended traditions and personal conviction, the last rites of 83-year-old Patricia Majorie Sandis were performed in a way few in the city have witnessed—her body was first cremated and then her ashes were buried beside her family’s graves.
Patricia, who spent most of her life in Jamshedpur’s Sonari Adarshnagar, passed away on Monday while undergoing treatment at Tata Main Hospital. Her children—Paul and Ian Sandis, who came from Kolkata, and daughter Glenda, who works in a publishing house in Delhi—shared that their mother’s final wish had been clear for years.
“She would often tell us, during simple conversations or family gatherings, that she wanted her body cremated and the ashes buried,” Glenda recalled. “She felt it was a way to honour both tradition and her personal beliefs.”
Patricia was born in Jamshedpur, educated in a convent school, and married ARC Sandis, an Anglo-Indian resident of the city. She worked in Tata Steel and later with HCL, and was known for her warmth and her affection for the local culture.
This was not the first time the family observed this unusual combination of rites. Patricia’s elder sister, Doreen Hearn, had passed away in Canada and expressed the same wish—her ashes were flown back and buried beside their parents in the Beldih cemetery. Now, Patricia rests in the same place.
Following her passing, the family notified close relatives and informed the church. “Everyone supported her wish without hesitation,” said Paul. The Burning Ghat Committee, especially Ganesh Rao, extended all possible help.
On Wednesday morning, a solemn prayer service was held at St. George’s Church in Bistupur. Later, the cremation took place at Swarnarekha Burning Ghat, where friends and well-wishers gathered to pay their respects. The ashes were then ceremoniously carried to Beldih cemetery and buried in the evening beside her parents and sister.
Father Vijay Nag read passages from the Bible as the final prayers were offered. Among those present were James Dayal, Colin, Sujit Mishra, Din D’Souza, Naval Mathews, Ronald D’Costa, Hilary D’Souza, Abhijeet Balmuchu, advocate Kulbinder Singh, and human rights activist PK Das.
