An '˜orchestra of fun', many hundreds turn out to say farewell to Aidy Fox

Many hundreds walked from the 56-year-old Monbrief Walk home on Monday to a packed St Paul’s Church for Requiem Mass.

To say he was ‘a character’ is an understatement but primarily Aidy was a family man.

Married to his beloved Sharon, he lived for his children Ciaran, Ryan and Gary and doted on his grandchildren Conan, Liam and Eimear.

The son of Paddy and Nan Fox, and originally from Brownstown, Aidy moved in his childhood to Ardowen and then later to Taghnevan.

He followed his father into the market business and had a toy stall in his youth at Market Lane where Rushmere now stands.

He was a hard worker working on building sites in his younger days with many different firms across the north.

Later he moved into fixing TVs, aerials and satellite dishes, a profession he was extremely successful in.

Aidy never went looking for jobs - his reputation and word of mouth recommendations kept him very busy.

His son Ciaran said often his dad would be sitting down to his tea at 5pm and as soon as he had his first mouthful the phone would ring.

“That many knew him and he stood by what he had done, he was always kept busy” he said.

He was handy at many things and the go-to man when things went wrong, always lending a hand to fix anything from a car to a TV.

Aidy was a popular man having forged strong friendships in his youth with a gang of lads affectionately known as ‘The Warriors’.

And he was very kind-hearted, regularly doing good turns in the area, particularly for the elderly.

Just four years ago he took up golf, a game he had always enjoyed watching. However it was clear he loved it as much for the craic and the people.

Indeed he was a real people person and a very popular member of St Paul’s GAA Club in Lurgan.

There he ran the entertainment for many years. As a big fan of local bands he regularly booked Lurgan bands and musicians.

He had a strong work ethic which he passed on to his children. His wide and far-reaching contacts ensured that they and others in the community ended up with great jobs.

At his funeral Fr Conor McConville described Aidy as like the conductor of an orchestra. If there had been two separate tables of people in the club not talking, Aidy would have come in waving and chatting to them all until eventually they ended up together.

It was when his son Ciaran started playing for St Paul’s that the club became part of his life and he immersed himself in the local activities.

He loved the craic with all the players and staff and was a great support to his kids at matches.

Adrian also had a superb community spirit and did a lot of fundraising over the years. After his brother Brian’s passing with cancer, Aidy ran a massive event at Centrepoint and raised £5k for the Southern Area Hospice in Newry. He also organised an event for Ceara School which was very successful.

Aidy was told only weeks ago about his cancer diagnosis and bravely organised every detail of his funeral arrangements including asking that donations in lieu of flowers be made to PIPS as suicide had affected his family circle.

Ever mindful of family and his many many friends, Aidy also organised his own ‘wake’ so he could enjoy his final weeks with those he loved.

He was a ‘bundle of fun’ always loved being the centre of attention and full of devilment.

He was a prankster who loved life and lived it to the full.

Adrian passed away on Saturday morning but leaves a strong and vibrant legacy behind him.

His passing is deeply regretted by his sorrowing wife Sharon, sons Ciaran, Ryan and Gary, daughter-in-law Leanne, Ryan’s partner Fiona, Gary’s partner Kirstie, grandchildren Conan, Liam and Eimear, sisters Kathleen, Ann, Eileen, Jacqueline, brothers Patsy and Sean, nieces, nephews and family circle.