A final farewell Jem.

It's one week now since Jimmy, my brother-in-law left us to go to a far better place.

He is now resting near my father, mother and other family members in St Fintan's in Sutton. If you walked a bit down the slope at St Fintan's, and looked to your centre left, and if the light was just right you would be treated to the lovely serene view that you see here to the right. My father used to say that it was "The healthiest graveyard in Ireland!" because of the clean and fresh sea air.

Jimmy appreciated that kind of humour too.

I mentioned below that Jimmy loved the tenor voices of Mario Lanza and Luciano Pavarotti. So I will now bid a final adieu to you Jem.... no one that ever knew you will forget you..... walk with God my friend.

To Jimmy

This is a photo of Jimmy McLoughlin singing in a bar in Spain. A happy day for him and for all who were with him.

But on Tuesday 30th of October 2007 Jimmy left us.

Many from the Summerhill area drop in to read this blog, many who will know Jimmy. Bide a moment and remember him.

And to help you remember him, he lived at one time in 42K, right next door to Terry Kelly's pub which later became Hourican's. It stood at the corner of Lower Rutland Street and Summerhill. And Jimmy went to Rutland St school.

Jimmy, (or Jem as we used to call each other -- both of our real names being James) was a husband to Joan, a dad, a grandad, a brother, a brother-in-law...... a man of a big, loving family.... and a son still grieving at the passing of his dear mother May and of his father John.

He was a friend with an ever cheery word.. and I will miss that as well as the good natured slagging we sometimes shared when he regularly dropped by my home.

He shall be missed.

But a few words of a poem often help us ponder.... and to realise that...

There is no death!
The stars go down
To rise upon another shore,
And bright in heaven's jeweled crown
They shine for evermore.

Jimmy loved music and song. He enjoyed the singing of Dean Martin and the tenor voices of Mario Lanza and Luciano Pavarotti, a love of tenor voices I believe he inherited from his father who had a lovely tenor voice himself.

So I will leave you now Jimmy.... I will leave as Pavarotti the tenor maestro performs in a way that you loved.

Farewell Jem.... this is for you.....