Businessmen Pick Up Funeral Tab For Detroit Murder Victim

DETROIT (WWJ) - It's a somber subject and a problem across the country: people having a tough time paying for a loved one's funeral.

In Detroit, two local businessmen are helping out the family of one man murdered last month.

Eric Means found out that Troy Tidwell, Sr., who was shot and killed during an apparent robbery outside a party store, had no life insurance and his grieving family had no money.

Means joined forced with auto dealer Eddie Hall to help pay the bill for Tidwell's final expenses.

"This tragedy ... I had to take necessary steps to try to ease the burden the family," Means told WWJ Newsradio 950's Vickie Thomas. "We can go to our comfortable place and pretend that it doesn't exist, but it does. It's happening every day."

Means said Tidwell, 46, is survived by three children.

"Mr. Tidwell had two in college and one at Renaissance high school, which is one of the top public schools still here in the city of Detroit," said Means. "So, it's a testament to him and what he's been able to accomplish."

At James H. Cole Funeral Home, which handled the arrangements, president Karla Cole said she sees this all the time.

"More often in this economy than I would like to see ... a lot of people are passing — whether they're killed or whether they die of natural causes — and they just don't have insurance," Cole said. "The best thing is to always get some kind of little policy on your loved ones, especially when they're young."