Fred enjoyed helping others

The Lurgan man, who was a lifelong member of 1st Lurgan Presbyterian Church, passed away on May 4.

Fred, who would have been 90 in July, was the youngest of five siblings.

He was born on July 11, 1922 and grew up in Lurgan with sisters Ellen and Minnie and brothers Joe and Richard.

Fred worked at Mercer and Brown for many years and went on to become manager of the Southern Health Trust Laundry Service, a job which saw him travel the length and breadth of the region.

In September 1947 Fred married Meta in Queen Street Methodist Church.

The pair went on to become well known residents of Demesne Avenue in Lurgan.

They had two children Carol and Brian, both of whom taught in Lurgan College - Brian in the senior school and Carol in the preparatory department.

Fred was a committed lifelong member of 1st Lurgan Presbyterian Church where he was an elder for 50 years.

He was also superintendent in the Sunday School and a founder member of 3rd Lurgan Boys’ Brigade in 1936. He later went on to captain the Boys’ Brigade in the 1950s.

He always kept an interest in the battalion, helping to organise anniversary events.

Fred was an enthusiastic follower of rugby and cricket.

With his wife Meta, he enjoyed going to The Lawn to watch Waringstown and travelling to various cricket grounds around Ulster to watch the Villagers.

He also played golf at Lurgan with his retired friends and was a member of Probus.

He was a man of great faith who was always very busy in the district as a visiting elder.

He enjoyed helping others and will be sorely missed by his family - wife Meta, brother Joe, daughter Carol, son Brian, son-in-law David, daughter-in-law Glenis, grandchildren Peter and wife Jane, Catherine and husband Matt, Rebecca and James, and the rest of the family circle.

His funeral took place on Sunday, May 6, in 1st Lurgan Presbyterian Church and he was buried in Waringstown Presbyterian Burial Ground.