Doreen "showed who she was by her actions", Funeral Mass hears

The first Lady President of the Tullamore Conference of St Vincent de Paul, Doreen Grimes, was described at her funeral mass as a lady who was “very generous, very caring and showed great leadership” during her long association with the local charity.

Doreen passed away at her home in Tinnycross, on the outskirts of Tullamore, on Saturday, December 23 last, following a short illness, and news of her death caused a huge outpouring of sadness in the local community which she served so tirelessly over many years.

A native of Cokery, Edenderry, Mrs. Grimes was the eldest of a family of 13 and she immersed herself in every aspect of life in Tullamore having moved to the town in 1960 following her marriage to Gabriel Grimes. The young couple initially settled in Connolly Park and reared a family of six, before moving to Tinnycross.

A gifted seamstress and a wonderful homemaker who was blessed with a quick wit and a great sense of humour, the late Doreen Grimes will perhaps be best remembered in recent years for her work with the local branch of the St Vincent de Paul.

Having joined the organisation at first as a volunteer and working with the visitation committee she was given the huge honour of being elected as the First Lady president of the Tullamore Conference for a four-year term, which was extended when the Covid-19 pandemic struck. Despite the heavy workload, it was a job she relished and no challenge was too big for her to take on.

At her funeral mass in the Church of the Assumption on Wednesday, December 27, Chief Celebrant Fr Sean Heaney told the packed congregation that Doreen Grimes “showed who she was by her actions” and added that she had certainly “fulfilled the Gospel” in her treatment of “the hungry, the thirsty, the naked and those who were lonely”.

Pointing out that she had only become involved with St Vincent de Paul at a time when other people “would be sitting back and enjoying the fruits of their labour” Fr Heaney said that, as her family and friends gathered to grieve her loss, it was also a time to celebrate her “kindness and her care for people truly in need”.

To illustrate her 'can do' approach to her work as president of the local charity organisation and her generous and caring nature, Fr Heaney said Mrs Grimes had once told him that she would “sooner make a mistake and give money to someone who doesn't need it than send them away”.

Although her loss will be very deeply felt by her colleagues in St Vincent de Paul and the many families in the local community whom she helped, it will be most acutely felt by her devoted husband of 63 years, Gabriel, and by her family. Poignantly, Doreen passed away just two days before Christmas, which was her favourite time of year.

The late Doreen Grimes was the recipient of the President's Award from the Tullamore & District Rotary Club – which is their highest honour – in July of 2022 as a mark of appreciation for her “unstinting service to those in need”.

The inscription on the plaque which was presented to her was taken from the Gospel of Matthew and reads as follows: "For I was hungry and you gave me to eat. A stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you clothed me - Presented to Doreen Grimes in appreciation of her unstinting service to those in need of sustenance."

The late Doreen Grimes was laid to rest in Clonminch Cemetery following her funeral mass. She is is survived by her husband Gabriel, children Regina, Brendan, Yvonne, Elaine, Nigel and David, sons and daughters in law, grandchildren Sam, Max, Jill, Aisling, Joe, Ben, Eric, Aaron, Phoebe, Billy, Oisin and Dara, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews along with extended family and her many friends.