Man’s memorial plan for presumed dead mother irks woman’s sisters

Nathan Carman’s plan for a memorial service to honor his mother Linda Carman, who was lost at sea while on a fifishing trip with him last month, has angered other families members still waiting for authorities to fifini sh their investigation.

Nathan Carman, 22, has been calling friends of his grandparents, John and Rita Chakalos, in New Hampshire and family friends in West Hartford to invite them to a memorial service scheduled for Wednesday.

Details of the service are unclear but his attorney, Hubert Santos, confirmed this weekend that the 22-year-old is planning a memorial service at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Hartford.

“Nathan has not given up hope for his mother’s rescue. However, he al so understands the diffic ul t realities of the situation and that the Coast Guard stopped search-and-rescue operations last month, ” Santos said. “He believes that now is an appropriate time to begin the mourning process, and asks that the public and press respect his privacy during this trying time.”

But Nathan Carman apparently didn’t check with any of Linda Carman’s three sisters about the memorial, or invite them. The family has gotten calls from friends informing them that Nathan has called them about the memorial service. The friends have been asking the sisters if they are participating.

The sisters have hired the Boston law fifirm of Holland & Knight to represent them. Their attorney, Dan Small, issued a statement making it clear that the three sisters have nothing to do with the planned memorial, and indicating that they prefer to wait until police fifinish investigating the circumstances of the ill-fated fifishing trip.

“Linda’s friends and family want to make clear that they are not involved in this event,” Small said. “They believe that it is premature.”

Nathan Carman and his mother, Linda Carman, 54, of Middletown, were reported missing Sept. 18 while on a fishing trip. His mother is presumed dead.

Police from at least four states have been investigating the circumstances surrounding the boat’s sinking. They have obtained search warrants for Nathan Carman’s vehicle, cellphone and Vermont home. In those documents, they indicate they are investigating whether to charge him with “operating (a boat) so as to endanger, resulting in death.”