St Mary’s Crescent, Westport
Formerly Josephine Garavan, she was a native of Kilmeena and was aged 75 years. She was daughter of the late David and Annie Garavan. As a young adult, Josie, as she was popularly known, lived and worked in Dublin. She returned home in the early 1950s, and in 1958 she married her husband, Michael. They were one of the first couples to take up residence in the newly-developed St Mary’s Crescent, a scheme of houses that later developed a reputation for outstanding neighbourliness and co-operation among residents.
Josie spent 50 happy years in ‘The Crescent’ and was herself regarded as a great neighbour and a loyal friend.
She was totally devoted to her husband, children and grandchildren, and no task was ever too great to undertake on their behalf. She and Michael were due to celebrate the golden jubilee of their marriage next year. Josie was also a woman of deep faith and was a familiar figure at daily and weekend Masses and services in St Mary’s Church, Westport. She made many trips to the Marian Shrine at Lourdes and, just one month ago, returned from there with her husband, Michael.
As a homemaker she was multi-skilled, renowned for her baking, cooking and gardening talents.
She will be very sadly missed by her husband, Michael; her daughters, Bernadette, Dolores, and Maria; her brother, Paddy Garavan; her sisters, Nellie, Agnes and Chris; her sons-in-law Colm and Eoghan; her brother-in-law, John Greene; her sister-in-law, Maura Duffy; her grandchildren, Niamh, Deirdre, Jenny, Grace, Ciara and Patrick; and her other relatives, neighbours and many loyal friends. She was predeceased by her sister Freda in Dublin.
Following the traditional wake in the family home, removal took place to St Mary’s Church, accompanied by a cortege, which reflected Josie’s great popularity and the high esteem in which she was held by all who knew her.
Fr Micheál Mannion officiated at the reception ceremony and was also the main celebrant of Josie’s Funeral Mass.
Family members read the lessons and prayers of the faithful and also brought the offertory gifts to the altar. St Mary’s Church Choir was under the direction of organist Gabriel Kelly.
In his homily, Fr Mannion paid tribute to Josie for her all-embracing role of devoted wife, loving mother and wonderful home-maker. She also had a well-deserved reputation as a great neighbour, and she had a smile and a word for everybody she met along life’s pathway.
Her Catholic faith meant a great deal to her, and she acted out the tenets of that faith in her dealings with people throughout her life.
The Mass was very important to her, and she had a special devotion to Our Blessed Lady. Fr Mannion extended the sympathy of the priests and people of the parish to Josie’s husband Michael, her daughters, brothers, sister, grandchildren, neighbours and friends. Josie was laid to rest in Myna Cemetery, Kilmeena.
May her gentle and caring soul have peaceful rest.
