Walter Gildea: much-loved Rathcoole shop owner and Whitehead golfer ‘left indelible mark on the community'
Former Newtownabbey shop owner and keen golfer Walter Gildea has been remembered as a gentleman who “left an indelible mark on the community”.
Mr Gildea, who died peacefully on August 19 at the age of 93, was a familiar face at the family’s hardware store in Rathcoole before his retirement in 2008.
A keen sportsman, he had a strong association with Whitehead Golf Club and Mossley Hockey Club.
A Funeral Times notice said Walter was the devoted husband to the late Patricia Ann and dearly loved father to Diane and Robert.
It added: “Walter will be fondly remembered and very sadly missed by the wider family circle and all who knew him.”
In a tribute, Whitehead Golf Club said he was one of its long-standing members and “great characters”.
“Walter’s connection with the club stretches back to the late 1960s, when he first played his golf at the Bentra course, the previous home of Whitehead Golf Club.
"By his own admission, Walter was never the finest golfer in the world, though he did achieve a very respectable handicap of seven at his best.
“But golf, for Walter, was about far more than scores; it was about friendship, laughter, and the camaraderie that he cherished among his fellow members.
"Though he never served as captain and chose not to sit on committees, Walter’s voice was always heard. He had an opinion on most things, and he was never shy about sharing it, a trait that endeared him to many and added greatly to the life of the club.
“Walter’s love of sport extended beyond golf. He often spoke proudly of his hockey days, and his friends at Mossley Hockey Club will remember him with equal fondness.”
The tribute also highlighted their late colleague’s talent for business.
"Beyond sport, Walter was a gifted salesman who spent most of his career at his shop in Rathcoole. Alongside his brother, Jack, and later his son, Robert, he created not just a business, but a gathering place filled with stories and laughter.”
Walter was predeceased by his wife Pat, a former Ladies’ Captain of Whitehead Golf Club.
“Together, they left an indelible mark on our community,” the club added. “On behalf of everyone at Whitehead Golf Club, we extend our sincere condolences to Diane and Robert on the passing of their father. May you take comfort in the many wonderful memories of a long life well lived and well loved.”
A service to celebrate Walter’s life was held at Antrim & Newtownabbey Crematorium on Wednesday, August 27 with Whitehead Golf Club members among those in attendance.
Donations in lieu of flowers were invited to the Royal National Institute for the Blind.