Will request to preserve tattoos passed on too late

The Public Trust has apologised for failing to alert a grieving New Plymouth mother of her son's dying wish to have his tattoos saved after he died.

Jonathan Fowler, 27, wanted his tattoos preserved for posterity, the Taranaki Daily Times reported.

Among the body art were a Playboy bunny, an Aries sign, a Taurus sign and a DB Export beer logo.

The unusual request in his will to have the tattoos saved was the only one the cystic fibrosis sufferer and double lung transplant patient had left for his family.

However, Mr Fowler's mother, Julie, didn't know about his final wish until she read a copy of the will lying among her son's things after his death at Christmas.

She is furious the Public Trust Office failed to mention the request when she contacted it before Mr Fowler's funeral.

"Those tattoos were special to him -- there wasn't a lot of things he could do but these he could," Mrs Fowler said.

A Public Trust spokesperson did not wish to comment yesterday as the matter was under inquiry.

But a company employee would meet with the family today to discuss the incident and had sent a letter of apology.

- NZPA