The family of Mr John Gethings said yesterday that the news an agency nurse was being investigated in relation to his death came as "a terrible shock".
Mr Gethings (77) died on March 1st at Naas General Hospital.
According to Mr Gethings' son, also called John, his father suffered from a serious heart condition, and his death last March after a week in hospital raised no suspicions, with no post mortem being required. His death certificate also notes heart failure as the cause of death.
The Gethings family has received "a terrible shock" over the events of the last few days, Mr Gethings said. "It's been very upsetting."
He said his family noticed "nothing suspicious" during their father's stay at Naas General hospital in late February, and had made no complaints regarding his treatment. "The first time we knew of anything suspicious was when were were contacted last Friday."
He said they were made aware by the South Western Area Health Board on July 18th that allegations had been made against a nurse who had treated his father.
They had "full confidence" in the investigations initiated by the health board and Garda, and their ability to establish the facts surrounding their father's death. "If she's innocent, great. If not, well and good. It's out of our hands now."
Mr Gethings was speaking outside his father John's former home, which is less than 800 metres from the graveyard where his body was exhumed at 5.30 a.m. yesterday. Later, following the postmortem, his body was brought back to the cemetery in a white van. Mr Gethings' two sons, John and Thomas, along with a local priest, accompanied the body, which was buried following a short ceremony.
Mr Gethings senior is survived by his wife and four children. He had suffered from a serious heart condition and had been "in and out of hospital" at Naas over recent years.
Throughout yesterday those hoping to visit the graveyard, which is situated on a hill overlooking the town, arrived to find it closed, with a garda on duty at the entrance.
Locals in Baltinglass said they were stunned to learn of the exhumation. Neighbours of Mr Gethings said the events of the day were "hard to believe".
"You don't expect people to start digging up your neighbour," said one man who asked not to be named. "They're a good family, and it's an awful thing that they have to go through this."