by Allan Appel | Dec 23, 2013 8:53 am

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Posted to: Social Services

Gordon Scott died of a massive heart attack while he was standing at the Temple and Elm bus stop. He was only in his 50s; he’d been homeless for years.

His life and his suffering – along with that of at least 36 other homeless men and women who died in our town during 2013 – were marked in moving outdoor ceremonies behind Trinity Episcopal Church on the Green.

The homeless memorial service was one of thousands being held across the country Saturday in an effort led by the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, said Kyle Pedersen, a deacon with the church and one of the organizers of the event.

“It’s always held at the winter solstice, the longest night and shortest day, so we join those who spend their nights on the streets,” Pedersen said.

Bob Hannan said he had had been a friend of Scott and had shared pizza with him many a night under a warm stairway. Hannan and some 30 others gathered on crunchy snow behind the church as psalms were read, prayer flags bearing the name of the gone were hung, and a lone bagpiper, Gary Snowbeck, played a dirge-like military retreat “Balmoral” and then “Amazing Grace.”

“We gather to remember those who are faceless and nameless in our society,” said Rev. Julie Kelsey, a Yale School of Divinity professor. Kelsey serves as chaplain to Chapel on the Green, a mission to the homeless and a co-sponsor of Saturday’s service.

Psalm 23 was read. Following that, the kaddish, the Jewish prayer for the dead, was recited by Rabbi Megan Doherty, associate rabbi at the Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale.

Several homeless people gathered round to participate. They added names to the prayers.

Hannan said Scott’s ashes were spread in Hawaii, near where his mother’s ashes lay after Scott died in the third week of April. “He was a sweetheart, a loyal friend. I wish there were more people like him. The world would be better,” Hanna said. “He’s home now.”

Columbus House Executive Director Alison Cunningham said the most recent point-in-time homeless count, done last year, showed an estimated 737 people living on the streets in New Haven.

She estimated about 30 of those “had passed” during the course of the year.

She said the age of death of homeless people is a lot younger than of those who have shelter. The average is in the 50s, she said. Gordon Scott was 53.

The service ended with “We Shall Overcome.” United Church on the Green’s Rev. John Gage extended an invitation to all to come by his house of worship: “There’s more soup than you can possibly eat.”

On the way over, several people stopped to pick up winter clothing items at the free market (pictured) organized by Marcey Jones and Jesse Hardy with Jesse’s Homeless Outreach Project.

Other sponsors of the service included the Greater New Haven Opening doors, The Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen, Hill Health Center, Abraham’s Tent, and Interfaith Cooperative Ministries.