Phyllis Smylie

We gather here today in sadness with the family of Phyllis Smylie. Our thoughts are for you. We ask God to send his Holy Spirit to bring his peace to your hearts and to your homes. We give thanks to God for the 78 years of life that he gave Phylis and pray in faith that he will welcome her home to everlasting happiness in heaven.

There is as the Scriptures remind us, a time for every season under heaven. As we gather in Laurencetown Church we reflect on the mystery of time and providence that are in God’s hands: there is indeed a time to die, a time to weep, a time to mourn, a time to keep silence, a time to speak, a time to love.

Remembering Phylis, her family has shared memories of who she was and what she meant to them. We mourn her passing, we cherish her memory. Above all you have remembered the humanity of a good person. Today as we gather in sorrow to remember her. A burden of pain, burden of loss, burden of grief weighs heavily on you all. We gather as a community - our presence here today is our way of reaching out to Phyllis’ family and friends.

Phyllis was the second youngest  of 12 born to Thomas and Kathleen Fitzpatrick in the Donaghcloney district.  Phyllis unfortunately lost her mother at a young age. She often joked about fighting for survival & being bullied by her older sisters. And was always happy to share these stories of times gone by. 

Phyllis got married in her late twenties and was married to jimmy for over 50 years, starting married life in Ballyvarley before moving to Laurencetown

Not having a family of her own she continued to care for her older batchelor brothers and married alike. Her working life was similar and consisted of caring and cleaning for others. 

Phyllis was a very kind, loving and caring person always putting others first. 

Memories of her homestead Donaghcloney were very happy memories to her and she talked about them often. 

Thank you to all who cared for her and loved her in life. Now her life is over. As Phyllis has died now a part of you dies as well. You are filled with sorrow because her death leaves a gap that no-one else can fill adequately.

Every new year brings new challenges and opportunities about waiting in hope and as people of hope we believe in the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Phyllis’ period of waiting is now over. No one can say she got life easy in recent times - a journey from birth to death and the reason she could see purpose in the pain or sense in the suffering was because Jesus Christ came on this earth to conquer death and save us from our sins.

Today we shed tears for Phyllis but our tears have a healing effect. Today we no longer cling on but let her go to be with the Lord forever.

Let us celebrate her homecoming, with thanks to God for her life, for the example her faith gives us; for the lessons that we learned from her about living well and dying well.

We extend our sympathy today to her loving nieces  Jacqueline, Mary and Catherine,  nephews Patsy and Kevin and extended family circle.