Chris passed away surrounded by love

Chris was born in Banbridge and lived on Smith’s Hill. Chris was baptised in this church on the 10 May, 1930. Chris also received the sacraments of Reconciliation, Holy Communion and Confirmation in this Church. She attended Primary School in the Church grounds and then went to the Sacred Heart in Newry.

After the Sacred Heart she attended Banbridge Tech to study secretarial and book-keeping skills. After her studies she worked as a member of Brookfield Factory clerical staff. Chris also worked in Campbell’s Handy Stores.

Chris and Peter were married in this Church on the 2 October, 1962. They have been together for almost 50 years and our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family at this sad and painful time.

Chris and Peter raised their three daughters: Maria, Charmaine & Anne and son Martin & foster daughter Bernie in a loving and secure environment. Chris cherished her family. They were all very special to her.

Chris was a very talented singer and she shared this talent with others when she sang at 11.30am Mass in St Patrick’s Church. Chris walked to the early Mass for Communion and then walked back again to sing in the choir as they did not receive Communion at the 11.30am Mass.

Chris was also a member of St John Bosco Drama Group and St Patrick’s Drama Group and she played many a leading role. She also sang with the Pioneer Show Band and sang at concerts in St Patrick’s Hall. Chris’s gifted voice brought a lot of pleasure to many people over the years.

Chris was given the opportunity to tour and record and she could have achieved international fame, but she decided against this. For Chris…her husband and family came first. Her love of music lasted throughout her life and she passed this onto her family. It would have been a rare weekend that there wasn’t music of some sort echoing from the house, coming from either her children or her grandchildren.

Chris loved her family, immediate and extended. Their friends became her friends. The door was always open and the teapot always on the cooker.

During her illness she received great comfort, strength and support from her family, friends and her faith in Jesus Christ. Chris also had great devotion to St Therese, St Anthony, St Martin and Our Blessed Lady.

Jesus was very close to her in her suffering as he was with the apostles during the storm.

Chris was blessed to have a loving family, which helped her to carry the cross of sickness and pain. They journeyed with her throughout her illness.

For her family there is the comfort of knowing that you were able to show Chris just how much you loved and appreciated her. You knew that ‘time’ was precious. Chris passed away peacefully on Saturday morning surrounded by her family at home. We thank God that she received her dying wish.

Despite the pain of loss we thank God for the life of Chris and for the blessings that her life brought to many people. Chris has left us with precious memories of a wonderful and special lady.

We comfort one another in the sure confidence that for Chris life is changed, not ended, as the Preface of the Mass expresses it. Chris has fought the good fight, she has finished the race. She has kept the faith. We also derive comfort from the conviction that Chris is at peace with God.

On my own behalf and on behalf of Canon Stevenson, Fr Wright and Craigavon Area Hospital Chaplain Fr Stephen Crossan, I extend our deepest sympathy to Chris’s husband Peter, and to her daughters: Maria, Charmaine, Anne & Bernie & to her Son: Martin, sons-in-law: Brian, Michael, Kevin & Jackie, daughter-in-law: Angela & grandchildren: Jane, James, Stephen, Christina, Joseph, Rebecca, Calvin, Conor & Caitlin & great grandchildren.

I extend our sympathy to her sisters: Annie & Phyllis & niece Dympna, brothers: Michael & James, sisters-in-law, brother-in-law, nephews, nieces and entire family circle.

The funeral took place from her home for Requiem Mass in St. Patrick’s Church, Dromore Street, Banbridge at which Father Tony Corr who officiated at the Home, Church and Graveside gave the Homily. The interment took place in St. Patrick’s Cemetery. Family flowers were placed on the grave and donations in lieu are being sent to William Bell and Co. Funeral Directors, 23 Kenlis Street, Banbridge, BT32 3LR for Macmillan and Marie Curie (Cheques made payable to William Bell and Co.) William Bell and Co. had charge of the funeral arrangements.

From Peter in loving memory of Chris his Tailor.

I started school about 76 years ago. There was a class room in St Patrick’s Hall, Ballymoney Hill, Banbridge.

To enter, you went through two big double doors. There was a room to the left and a room to the right. In the room to the right there was a man sitting on a big table with his legs crossed. That man was a Tailor. He made suits for men.

I married Chris almost fifty years ago. Chris became my Wife and my Tailor. She bore me four beautiful children, Maria, Martin, Charmaine and Anne; and then my family became six with the arrivals of Bernie (our foster daughter) & Jayne (our grand-daughter). My wife as tailor, tailored my kids to become what they’ve become as adults today and I am so very, very proud of my wife and my family.

I want to thank my family and also thank my sons-in-law Brian, Kevin, Michael & Jackie and my daughter-in-law Angela for my grand children Caitlin, Christina, Joseph, James, Stephen, Jayne, Rebecca, Calvin & Conor and I thank Robert & Julie for our great grand children Elysia, Maleena & Emily.