A great lady, neighbour and friend to many – the late Doris Sheehan

THERE was much sadness in Park Avenue and the wider community of Tullamore this week at the passing of Doris Sheehan, (nee Rumbold) who died in the early hours of Sunday morning December 18.

Originally from Upper Norwood in South London, Doris met her husband Jim in London and they married and started their family there. The couple returned to Ireland in 1972 and settled in Park Avenue, which was her husband Jim's home place.

At her funeral mass Fr Joe Campbell said it was ''nice in a way that she died on December 18 which was her mother Grace's anniversary.''

Doris was a great family woman and a great neighbour and friend to many. Her death will leave a void in the small and close knit community of Park Avenue where she was held in high esteem.

Always cheerful, friendly and lively, Doris was also extremely caring and kind and loved to chat.

At her funeral mass her grandchildren brought gifts to the altar representing her life, including a crochet blanket symbolising her love of crochet and indicating her artistic side.

Her bingo board was also brought as Doris loved bingo and more importantly she loved socialising. A jigsaw puzzle and a plant represented her hobbies and her love of gardening.

Fr Campbell said he felt the Gospel reading at the funeral Mass, which was Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth, was especially appropriate for Doris, as he said ''Doris herself was a natural born carer, as all mothers are, but this was also her work for over 20 years with the HSE.

When she worked in England she worked in different jobs but also in that area of caring. She loved looking after and caring for people and she was very dedicated to it,'' said Fr Campbell.

Continuing he said, ''Doris like Mary was a woman who lived her faith in a very practical hands-on way. We can learn a lot from Doris from the way she looked after and cared for others,'' he said.

Fr Campbell said ''Doris had time for many people, especially for those she cared for over the years. She loved life and she lived it to the full.

In speaking to her family you could feel the love with which she was held as a mother, grandmother, great grandmother and good friend. Blessed with warmth, kindness, patience and understanding, Doris had time and cared for her family, her late husband Jim and her extended family. Her grandchildren and great grandchildren kept her young. She was a wonderful nanny.''

''She also had time for fun, she loved bingo, gardening, crocheting, shopping and socialising. She was a great neighbour and she was blessed with good neighbours. As the saying goes good neighbours make good neighbours.''

Fr Campbell said ''she fought her illness with great dignity and seldom let it get her down. When I called to anoint her in the early hours of Sunday morning I was struck by the warmth and love that surrounded her in her family and the glow of the open fire and the image of the Sacred heart over her bed.''

He recalled a line which is said at funeral masses 'My brothers we believe in all times the friendship, and affection which knit us as one do not unravel with death.'

Doris was a woman who loved life and lived it to the full and like St Paul she fought the good fight, finished the race and kept the faith.

''As the days get longer and the Advent candle gets shorter we entrust her to the love and mercy of God,'' said Fr Campbell.

Doris will be sadly missed by her loving daughters Theresa, Julie, Angela, Patricia and Michelle, sons in law Johnny, Paul, John and Brendan, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, sister Audrey, brother Edward, brother in law Sean, nieces, nephews, relatives, neighbours and a wide circle of friends.