Tribute: Mr. Tommy Woodcock

TOMMY Woodcock, a man known throughout the Borough for his involvement in his Church, his music and his hobby of fishing, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family on Wednesday 22nd August.

Born in 1924 to Tommy and Tillie, the young Tommy attended Guys School on Wellington Street before beginning his working life as an apprentice butcher to Alex Caldwell on Broughshane Street. During this time many lifelong friends were formed amongst the local traders and fond memories and anecdotes were often related which included household names of the day such as Barr, McCready, Johnston and the Caldwell brothers. It was during this period of his life that he met May (Finlay) and their marriage in 1950 saw the beginning of a 62 year devoted partnership, with Tommy and May never prouder than when talking about their sons, Dennis and Hugh and grandson Neil.

Following their marriage, Tommy and May moved to Bridgend, with Tommy taking up employment in the Gallaher factory. However, within a short time he moved from the factory to the gatehouse and enjoyed almost 40 years at the Lisnafillon plant. This was an ideal move for Tommy as he loved meeting people, having a chat and generally making them feel at ease. Once again many friends were formed during his time at Gallaher Ltd and such was the strength of these friendships that one former colleague called to spend a few minutes with Tommy only hours before his death.

After his family, Tommy’s great interest was music and in particular silver bands. He began to attend band practice in the old North Street band hall, just around the corner from his Clonavon Road home, where he learned to play euphonium and trombone.

Over the years he enjoyed the camaraderie of what was ‘the town band’ and loved nothing more than a discussion about banding, particularly with his late brother Jim - a brother whose knowledge he valued and whose musicianship he greatly admired. Tommy eventually took over the role of conductor of the Ballymena Silver Band and the partnership enjoyed a great deal of success in Brass Band League and Northern Ireland Bands Association contests in the 1970s and 80s. It should also be noted that he was asked to train the Curragh Silver Band from Maghera for ‘a few weeks’ in the early 1950s but such was his enthusiasm for the job that Tommy was still ‘helping out’ only a few weeks before his passing.

Tommy’s musical skill and knowledge was also observed from beyond the silver band world and he went on to conduct Eglish and Dunloy Accordion bands, with both bands enjoying considerable contesting success under his baton

A lifelong supporter of Ballymena United, Tommy watched ‘the Sky Blues’ at home and away and in recent years, when he was only able to attend home matches, enjoyed the inevitable post match discussion on a Saturday evening with his friends from the club.

It could be truly said that Tommy was a man of many talents and he was well known amongst the angling fraternity around Ballymena and beyond for his fly tying skills. There is little doubt that this skill was honed over many years and indeed he often talked about showing one of his first attempts to his teacher at Guys School. Tommy’s flies were sought after and brought their fair share of success in local rivers. However, Tommy took a quiet pride in the success of his own product and enjoyed many happy hours fly fishing on the River Maine.

Hobbies aside, there was one other passion to which Canon Ken Ruddock referred in the funeral address. From the age of five, when Tommy first attended Saint Patrick’s Church, on Castle Street, he enjoyed over 80 years of service to the Church of Ireland. He was a choir member in Saint Patrick’s, with his own father and on moving to Bridgend joined the Parish Church of Saint Colmanell, Ahoghill, where he served as a choir member, vestryman, treasurer (for 37 years) and Sunday School Superintendant. He loved his Church, its teaching and the faith which he was always proud to uphold.

Following his interment, in the churchyard adjoining Saint Colmanell’s , the Curragh Silver Band from Maghera, the band with which he had been associated for over 60 years, played Tommy’s arrangement of ‘At the Cross’.

Thomas Woodcock, 1924 to 2012 is survived by his wife May, sons Dennis and Hugh and grandson Neil.