A heartbreaking final farewell to beloved Gemma
Gemma's nephew Kayden Higgins and a lone piper led the hearse to Kilbarry Cemetery after her funeral Mass celebrated at St. Saviours Church, Ballybeg.
It was a heartbreaking and poignant farewell that brought her through her homestead one final time on Saturday, January 4, as amid wind and rain, the Ballybeg community came in their droves to bid an emotional goodbye to their own heroine, Gemma Higgins of Clonard Park, who died at the age of 39.
The beloved daughter of Frances and Jamesy, the besotted sister of Gillian, Deborah, Jessica, Maurice and Vincent, and the much loved aunt, cousin, and friend lost her brave and courageous battle with illness at the Oak Ward at University Hospital Waterford on New Year’s Day.
As the rain came down, her remains left her parent’s residence at Clonard Park before passing her own residence in the same area where a silence fell over Ballybeg as a guard of honour from the local football club accompanied the hearse that past her former primary school, St. Saviours to the local church.
There was mere standing room inside St. Saviours for a funeral Mass that was full of the love that Gemma shared during her 39 years with her untimely passing coming just over a month shy of her 40th birthday, which was hoping to celebrate with friends and friends on February 15.
Instead they came together to remember and say goodbye “for now”, to a special woman, who gave so much happiness and love to those that crossed her path during their life, but especially during her harrowing battle with cancer in recent years.
She was remembered by Fr. Robbie Grant PP of St. Saviours as a person, who “never complained” and got on with “enjoying her life” right up to the final days before her death that has left her family and friends devastated and heartbroken.
Symbols representing the life of Gemma, who was a former employee of Hasbro for many years, were brought to the altar during the Mass that included skips, a bottle of Blue WKD, Frys Turkish, A breast cancer awareness t-shirt, a photo of her dog Max, and a printed friends cushion.
In paying tribute to her friend Gemma from the altar, Marie McDonnell remembered “the love” that Gemma shared with her family and their friendship. “She didn’t only have a love of her family and friends, but she also had a love of online shopping, and she really loved her recent purchases. I loved the chats that we used to have and I’ll miss those. Gemma, you fought hard throughout your life, but you are a peace now.”
Her niece Cela Hearne shared precious memories of Gemma from those that knew her best, her family, where she “thanked everyone for turning up to celebrate the life of Gemma, who we all loved so much.” “Starting with your best friend, your sister Jessica,” said Cela. “She has so many memories of you from trying to stretch across your king-size bed to put on your sheets to buying you 20 cigarettes and hiding them in your purse so you man wouldn’t find them.
Cela added: “Your big brother Vincent always remembers when you were young and when he would come home from the pub, you would sit up on his lap and take all the change from his pocket. Also the time that when you were just about old enough to go to town, he and Elaine brought you in and you were left in, but he was stopped for ID. Also how Daragh loved robbing your Dairy Milks.
“Your sister Deborah always remembers how you would never ask her for a lift and how you would pass her dead on the street, but that you were always strong and never complained whilst reminding you that your nephews Rhys and Kayden will clean your house free of charge.” She continued: “Gillian has nothing but good to say even if you ate her most of the time. She’ll remember how she was always late for work because she would be outside in car waiting for you to finish brushing your teeth or straightening your hair or the time she robbed your confirmation shoes to go out and you killed her!
To a standing ovation, Cela concluded: “I left the two most important people till last – your mam and dad. You always made sure your dad had the fire cleaned out every single day, how he kept your back clean and how he walked the dog, but how your mam done everything for you. They love you forever and there isn’t a thing any of us wouldn’t have done for us. Thanks for always being there as you were the best daughter, sister, and auntie that we could have ever asked for.”
Music was rendered by Sarah Jane Lavery accompanied by Barry Murphy with Gemma’s remains carried shoulder high from the church to the strains of one of her favourites, Bette Midler’s “The Rose” before hundreds followed a lone piper, who led the hearse with her nephew Kayden Higgins, to Kilbarry Cemetery.
There, her mother Frances clutched a framed picture of Gemma before kissing one final time as her father Jamesy helped to lower the coffin into the grave of their daughter as three white doves were released with her loved canine partner Max always close-by. Take That’s Never Forget and Ed Sheeran’s Perfect were played for her a final time to applause as she was laid to rest under a blanket of gorgeous flowers.
Gemma will be always loved and remembered by her heartbroken parents, Frances and Jamesy, brothers Vincent and Maurice, sisters Gillian, Deborah and Jessica, brothers-in-law Micky and Chris, sisters-in-law Elaine and Kathleen, nieces, nephews, extended family, relatives, neighbours and friends to whom we offer our deepest and sincerest sympathy on their heartbreaking loss. May Gemma rest in peace.
