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<h3 class="title">The Deafening Sound Of Silence</h3>
<h4 class="titlesmall">UPDATE: August 10, 2007</h4>
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<p>On Saturday, August 4, 2007 at 7:45AM I received what has become a too
familiar phone call from a young man, whose father died in his sleep and
was found by his wife moments earlier. The conversation went this way. “Phil,
this is ______ _____. My dad died suddenly. Shocked, I said, ________? His
answer, “Yes!” </p>
<p>My eyes filled with tears as the son said, “Phil, you were special
to dad. You have always been there for us. Can you help us with dad?”
I responded, “I’m sorry______, but I can’t! (as the tears
streamed down my face). The son replied, “Why?” I so wanted
to tell him the whole story of the conspiracy, the corruption, and the failed
attempts of the cover up by all parties addressed in previous updates. </p>
<p>“Phil, what do we do?” the son asked. “Where do we go?”
I stated to the son, “Many of the Greek Families either go to Callahan
or O’Connor’s, since I have been deprived of serving the Orthodox
Community. And ______, you will have to ask your family where they prefer
to take dad.” The son responded, “You were special to dad, and
always will be to us.” I responded, “God Love ya, as he loved
dad. Call me if you need anything.” Call ended.</p>
<p>As I went for a tissue to wipe away the tears, my wife, Carolyn, asked,
“What happened? Are you alright?” I told her _____ __________died
in his sleep. He was only 68 years of age. Carolyn also started to cry,
for you see _____ _________ took our daughter, Stephanie, under his wing,
taught her the intricacies of becoming a first class softball pitcher, and
Stephanie was a stand out at Notre Dame Academy and subsequently at PACE
University receiving a scholarship for her commitment to the Softball Program.
None of this would have been possible without _______ ___________ and his
personal and undying support to not only Stephanie, but thousands of young
women at all levels of play. And now I was not able to be there for him
and his family at a time of need when the need was no greater.</p>
<p>The ________ Family decided not to have visiting hours and to have a funeral
service at St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Worcester, where _____
was a long-standing member. I had a commitment in Johnstown, PA Sunday evening
and had meetings scheduled all day on Monday, August 6, 2007. I left Worcester
at 2:00AM Sunday, August 5, 2007 and drove to Johnstown. At the conclusion
of the meetings on Monday evening, I left Johnstown and drove all night
in order to be back in Worcester to attend the funeral of ______ ________,
a very dear friend. (I say a very dear friend, for with few exceptions,
______ ________ would leave home early each morning and drive to Hope Cemetery
to visit the graves of his mother and father. I, too, would routinely do
the same, and we would frequently meet and talk at the gravesites of our
parents. And yet now, through lies, deceit, conspiracy, and corruption,
initiated by Katherine Mangsen and supported by Ron Johnson and his friend
and Chairperson of the State Board at the time, John Kazlauskas, (not to
mention the others at the State level that are equally guilty for taking
up the gauntlet without benefit of the facts), I am unjustly denied and
deprived of the opportunity (and obligation) to be there for “the
family in need”.</p>
<p>Accompanied by my wife, Carolyn, we went to an area in our home where we
have the Icon of the Resurrection, an Orthodox Cross, and candles; and we
prayed for the soul of _____ ________ and also prayed for those, through
whose lies, distortions, and wrongful deeds, have prevented me from practicing
in my chosen profession and being there for families such as _____ _______.</p>
<p>I entered St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral at 9:50AM on Tuesday, August
7, 2007 and was surprised to see that few seats were available. The Cathedral
was filled. By the time the Funeral Service began, the entire Cathedral
including the wings of the Cathedral were filled with young people (mostly
young girls and their mothers and fathers). </p>
<p>When the casket was brought into the Cathedral and placed beneath the enormous
and beautiful chandelier suspended from the center of the gold dome that
_____ ______ had often cleaned one light at a time on scaffolding high above
the ceiling of the Cathedral, there was not a dry eye to be found amongst
the hundreds of mourners. </p>
<p>At the conclusion of the service, it is our (the) Orthodox tradition that
each person pass by the casket one final time. This process took one hour,
and as I stood up to approach the casket of my dear friend, I said to the
funeral director, Francis O’Connor, “What a wonderful turn out
for a great man!” Mr. O’Connor responded, “Only one other
time had he seen the Cathedral filled to capacity with standing room only
as it was for _____ ______”.</p>
<p>As I left the Cathedral, (I did not go to the cemetery for the burial),
for I will visit _____ _______ gravesite on a regular basis; and _____ _______
will continue to be there; just not visible as before; I thought to myself
how does Katherine Mangsen, how does Gail Wiles, how does Ron Johnson, how
does Kevin Mercadante, how does John Bresnahan, how does James Read, how
does Leslie Alexander, how does Anne Colleton, how does Kathe Mullally,
how do each of these people live with themselves knowing full well their
actions are based solely on lies as is their life. </p>
<p>I remember and hold fast the words of Rev. Fr. Dean Paleologos, who just
so happened to conduct the funeral this very day, </p>
<p><strong><em>“God and One’s Conscience will determine the fate
of One’s Soul”</em></strong></p>
<p>In the previous update, I shared with you conversations I had with a panel
of spiritual folks that are closely monitoring the issues before me. One
point they continued to make as we discussed many issues was that –</p>
<p><strong>“God Is A Forgiving God, but ONLY when the sinner repents
/ asks forgiveness; and only after the sinner makes right the wrongs of
his/her ways. In essence, “Unrepenting of the sin, yields unforgiveness
by God”</strong></p>
<p>John Kazlauskas lost his chance. Will you? Try and sleep on this one.</p>
<p>The subject of this update is – <strong>“The Deafening Sound
of Silence” </strong> </p>
<p>This was presented to me in an email by one of the readers of this web
site presented as such,</p>
<p><strong>Question:</strong> Mr. Haddad, I have followed your web site ever
since it was brought to my attention in the fall of 2005. I live in the
outskirts of Worcester and know of most of the funeral directors in Central
Massachusetts. Although you and I have never met, being retired I have taken
the time to find out everything I can about you. I have found out that you
are as respected as anyone I have ever known. I even checked you out with
the Better Business Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce. I checked the archives
of the Worcester Telegram, and found out about all the charitable things
you have done in Worcester with statues in Elm Park and in front of City
Hall as well as a nursing home you spearheaded on Barbara Avenue. </p>
<p><em><strong>“Mr. Haddad, are you surprised that the community (especially
the funeral directors of Central Massachusetts) have been deathly silent
during the past couple of years to your situation?” </strong></em></p>
<p><em><strong></strong></em><strong>Answer:</strong> Thank you for the question.
I only wish Katherine Mangsen, Ron Johnson, Kevin Mercadante, and John Bresnahan
were as thorough as you before rushing to judgment and now finding it difficult
to hide behind the injustices they have created.</p>
<p>I have taken a great deal of time to think about your question as it impacts
on me and my family. I shall address the community as a whole (especially
the Orthodox Community) first, and then I shall respond to question concerning
the funeral director’s of Central Massachusetts. </p>
<p>As you know if you have been following this web site, I was terminated
without notice from my 9+ year employment at Nordgren Memorial Chapel in
Worcester, MA without notice on November 19, 2003 by Kurt Mangsen –
while at that time and to this very day an owner of the funeral home. When
word got out to the Orthodox Community of my termination, two senior organizations
from two of the four Orthodox Churches in Worcester wanted to picket Nordgren
Memorial Chapel at 300 Lincoln Street, Worcester. Several of those organizing
the effort were individuals who had made pre-arrangements with me at Nordgren’s
and now wished to move their pre-arrangements elsewhere. I pleaded with
them, finally convincing them that I was capable of dealing with the Mangsen’s
on my own and that I appreciated their concerns and efforts; but wished
for them not to get involved. When these same individuals representing the
senior communities in their churches learned Katherine Mangsen had called
the Worcester Police and was denying me the opportunity to secure my personal
belongings at the funeral home two months after the abrupt termination,
they wanted to go to the Worcester Telegram with the information. Again,
I insisted I would handle the issues and did not wish for them to get involved.
</p>
<p>To this very day (3 years and 9 months later) the “overwhelming majority”
of families that had made pre-arranged funeral arrangements with me prior
to my abrupt termination have at my encouragement retained their arrangements
at Nordgren’s knowing the funding arrangements with Columbian Life
Insurance were secure and the funding decisions they and they alone made
were well founded. These families realize that at the time of the passing
of their loved ones, they can decide to have their loved ones cared for
at any funeral home of their choice and Nordgren Memorial Chapel and Columbian
Life Insurance Company MUST honor their wishes.</p>
<p>As for the “deafening silence” of funeral directors in Central
Massachusetts, “No, I’m not surprised!” Three (3) funeral
directors in Worcester were subpoenaed by me as “hostile witnesses”
at the Administrative Hearings and each were very truthful in their remarks.
Francis O’Connor and Anthony Athy, in their testimony and without
discussion or consultation with me or my attorneys prior to their appearance,
contradicted the assertions, allegations, and testimony of Kurt Mangsen
and Ronald Johnson – assertions, allegations, and testimony on the
record and made by them to the State Board and reiterated in their sworn
testimony during the Administrative Hearings. Kurt Mangsen and Ronald Johnson
either lied to the State Board or Francis O’Connor and Anthony Athy
were not truthful in their testimony. It was clear then and is clear to
this very day, Mr. O’Connor and Mr. Athy’s testimony was without
question honest, sincere, and truthful. </p>
<p>As for Mr. Mercadante, his testimony contradicted Mr. Bresnahan’s
investigative record, and Mr. Mercadante (like the State Board and its investigator)
rushed to judgment without the facts – as so noted by the testimony
of Edward Haddad and Janet Forzley.</p>
<p>With that stated why would Mr. Mercadante or Mr. O’Connor rally to
my defense and become vocal in this matter; when in fact both were the ultimate
beneficiaries of my business – Mr. Mercadante capturing the Syrian
(Antiochian) Families and Mr. O’Connor capturing the Greek Families
I had served for more than 23 years? As for the other funeral directors
in Worcester County, each was and still is fearful of what an uncontrolled
investigator such as John Bresnahan could do to each and every one of them
if he chose to. For that reason, it was not worth the risk of coming to
my defense as a peer funeral director.</p>
<p>To summarize my statement, “Surprised by the deafening sound of silence,
NO!” <br>
“Disappointed?” ABSOLUTELY! <em>And I’m not going away!</em></p>
<p><strong>Question:</strong> Another reader asked, “Mr. Haddad, would
you publish comments or statements from the Mangsen’s, their attorney,
or other funeral directors in this matter to demonstrate fairness, so the
content of this web site is fair and balanced?”</p>
<p><strong>Answer:</strong> Absolutely. I made the same gesture to the Funeral
Monitor and their readership and published their emails and comments without
prejudice. I will do the same with any and all submissions, so long as they
are not defaming, malicious, or without relevance to the issues before us.
</p>
<p><strong>Additional Note:</strong> There is No statement made or printed
on this web site since its inception in March 2005 that is not supported
by the verifiable facts. As such, I welcome your questions, comments, and
observations.</p>
<p><strong>Next Update – August 20, 2007<br>
Subject – Revealing Information –<br>
“Desperate People taking Desperate Actions”</strong></p>
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