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Basil "Cedric" Leaman's death was as lonely as the life he lived in his later years.
The 81-year-old, who died two weeks ago, is at the centre of a mix-up in which his body was cremated in place of a woman's at her funeral service.
Waikato Hospital staff allege Hamilton undertaker Roy Waide took Mr Leaman's body from the mortuary without checking his identity. But Mr Waide, who has since admitted his oversight, insists lax hospital procedures were equally to blame.
Mr Leaman, who emigrated from England, lived alone in Hamilton until ill-health a couple of years ago forced him to live his final days at a Waikato rest home.
His former neighbours said he had no family and very few friends.
Christina Headland, who still lives in the block of flats, remembered him as a recluse who occasionally wore dresses around his tiny flat.
"He used to make them himself, he had a sewing machine ... you wouldn't meet many like him."
His ashes are in Invercargill with Maree Wilkins, his caregiver whom he met 16 years ago.
Meanwhile, the Waikato District Health Board said there was room for improvement with its mortuary processes but continued to point the finger at Mr Waide.
"It is clear the process fell down," said group manager clinical and support services Melinda Ch'ng. "We have investigated what happened in more detail and have already noted some necessary improvements, including making sure all funeral directors are fully aware of Waikato DHB's discharge and identification procedure from the mortuary."
But Mr Waide said he was being made "a scapegoat" by the DHB.
He said a mortuary attendant failed to identify the body before giving it to him.
"I'm not saying I'm not partly responsible because okay as far as they're concerned I should have checked the identification," he said. "But for all their pontificating ... they haven't mentioned how I got the body."
Mr Waide could have checked the body, which was bound in sheets, but said: "There was actually no reason to suspect anything untoward."
He said he had apologised to the woman's family and would scrutinise some of his own procedures.
