A 25-year-old Irishman has been found dead in Philadelphia just days before he was due to fly home for Christmas.
Armagh man Philip Hagan was found dead in his apartment by emergency services on Saturday evening at the city’s Marine Club Condominiums.
A former deputy head boy at The Royal School Dungannon in County Tyrone, Phillip had been working as an actuary for Cigna Health Care after interning with the firm as a student at Heriot-Watt University, in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Colleagues said that he had been working from home during the week as he had felt unwell, but the alarm was raised after he didn’t show up in the office on Friday.
A post-mortem is to be carried out after which his body will be repatriated to Northern Ireland.
Philip Hagan, photographed in 2011.
"The Foreign Office in London have been brilliant and have been offering their support,” his older brother, Jonathan, told the Ulster Gazette.
"The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust have been hugely supportive and are actively involved in getting Philip home. The support of family, friends and the whole community has been brilliant and very comforting."
Philip’s parents, Jennifer and the Rev Matthew Hagan, were expecting him home on Dec 16, but now face a Christmas without their much-loved son.
Reverend Hagan told the Newsletter he was “very close to the family.”
“He was such an intelligent, loving, friendly and conscientious young man who had his whole life ahead of him.”
Jim Nicholson, who serves as a legislator for Northern Ireland in the European Parliament and worships at Rev Hagan’s Church, said, “The Hagan family are highly respected in the Tynan, Middletown, and Aghavilly area of south Armagh and my sympathy goes out to them on the death of young Philip.
“Family bereavement coming up to Christmas is not an easy burden to bear and our prayers and thoughts are with the Hagans at this time.”
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