A 90-year-old man who was killed after he tried to push a woman out of the way of a moving vehicle in a car park in Fermoy, Co Cork was remembered at his funeral as a loving family man who made a huge contribution to his community.
Father of four and retired teacher and farmer, Cal O’Keeffe, was pronounced dead in the Supervalu car park on Courthouse Road shortly after 11:15am last Friday.
A woman in her 60s was rushed to hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the car, who was in his nineties, was treated at the scene.
Mr O’Keeffe was late of Glanworth Road, Ballyhooly and Glanworth in Co Cork.
His daughter Noelle told mourners at the Holy Cross Church, in Glanworth, today that she and her siblings, Marie, John and Martin and their mother, Mary couldn’t thank the emergency services enough for all of their efforts last Friday.
She also thanked Fr Brian Boyle who performed the last rites on her father in the car park, the staff and management at Supervalu, members of the public who went to the aid of the injured last Friday morning and Ronayne’s Funeral Home.
Noelle said that their wonderful neighbours and friends also did everything in their power to assist the grieving family over the weekend.
“The help kept coming even when the electricity went out in the storm. We would not have managed without them. It was no surprise knowing our neighbours as we do. But it was humbling to experience such generosity of spirit.”
Noelle said she and her siblings were hugely appreciative of the good start in life given to them by their loving parents Cal and Mary.
“We had a very happy childhood playing on the farm and we wanted for nothing. My father once said that you could be content to go if your children were reared and your grandchildren were healthy. And he was a very content man. He was always in good form and he was happy wherever he was.
He was so happily married to our mother Mary. I used to observe how they would generate conversations back and forth sitting by the fire. Even after 54 years of marriage, there was still plenty to discuss.”
She said their father was a “great people person and conversationalist” who would talk to anybody.
Noelle fondly remembered Cal as an “encyclopaedia of interesting stories” who loved having chats with friends in the pub.
She said that her father adored hurling and knew the names of GAA players going back seventy years making him a valuable addition to any pub quiz team. Mr O’Keeffe played in local hurling clubs and was part of the UCC team which won the Fitzgibbon Cup in 1957. He also promoted hurling in the schools in which he taught.
Meanwhile, Fr Michael Corkery, who celebrated the mass, said that it was a source of great comfort to Mrs O’Keeffe that her late husband had received the last rites at the car park last Friday.
He said that Cal was a “calm and pleasant” man who founded an active retirement group when he retired from teaching. Fr Corkery added that the passing of Mr O’Keeffe was viewed as an “end of era” by many local people.
Offertory gifts at the mass included The Irish Examiner to signify Mr O’Keeffe’s interest in current affairs, a picture of Cal and his wife Mary, a tractor to represent his love of the land, and a sliotar and football showing his love of sport.
Mr O’Keeffe was recently predeceased by his much loved brother John. Mr O’Keeffe is also fondly remembered by his grandchildren, extended family, neighbours and friends. His burial followed in St Dominic’s cemetery followed the noon requiem mass.
