It took more than two years of legal wrangling, but just four hours to remove Howard Tobin's remains from the Congregation Poale Zedeck cemetery in Richland on Monday.

Mr. Tobin's family -- his wife, Roberta, specifically -- requested his remains be removed in 2008, to move them to the Star of David section of Homewood Cemetery in Point Breeze.

Mrs. Tobin wanted her husband, who died unexpectedly 45 years ago, to be buried with her son, Steven, who also died unexpectedly in July 2008.

Mrs. Tobin, who died in January, did not want her son to be buried at the Orthodox Poale Zedeck cemetery because family members are Reform Jews, and because the trip to Richland from her home in Squirrel Hill was too far.

She argued that she never had a say in where her husband was buried, because his brothers handled the arrangement when he died because she had four young children to care for.

When Steven Tobin died, Mrs. Tobin bought three plots at Homewood Cemetery five minutes from her home -- one for him, one for her husband and one for herself, said her daughter, Shelly Frankel.

However, when Mrs. Tobin went to Poale Zedeck to get permission to move her husband, she was rejected.

The congregation believes that under Jewish law, it is forbidden to move a body unless under special circumstances. Those could include moving the body to a family plot, to Israel, or if the plot has been, or is in danger of being, desecrated.

The case proceeded to Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, and in May Judge Lawrence J. O'Toole ruled in favor of the Tobins, finding that their interest in moving Mr. Tobin outweighed the congregation's.

Poale Zedeck chose not to appeal the decision.

The plot at Poale Zedeck owned by Mrs. Tobin has been donated back to the cemetery.

Ms. Frankel said that when her father's remains were moved to Homewood Cemetery on Monday, the family had a funeral service for him.

About a dozen immediate family members and close friends attended, and a Reform rabbi led the service.

When it concluded, the family unveiled a joint headstone that will be shared by Mr. and Mrs. Tobin.

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