Philip Hedley

Philip Hedley was proprietor of Hedley’s Garage, Louisburgh. Philip moved to Louisburgh, Co Mayo from his native Guildford in Surrey, UK in 1997 with his wife Jackie. He embraced the Irish way of life and loved everything Irish, the place names, the people, their humour, the craic. He worked for Hastings Garage in Westport before opening his own successful garage business. Opening his own business was always his ambition and was one of his biggest achievements. His work was his hobby. He loved everything about motor mechanics.
Retirement was never in Philip’s life plan. Instead he decided to embrace new technology and had successfully completed a year long intense course to become an Auto Diagnostic Technician. He continued his studies and had begun a second intense course to qualify as a Master Technician in Auto Diagnostics. Philip was midway through this course when in the blink of an eye our lives changed forever.     
Philip’s cancer journey began on April 19, 2022. We prayed his treatment would be successful. Our lives became a roller coaster of scans, treatments, hospital appointments with urologists, oncologists, palliative and all these amazing teams that we all hope we will never have to meet. Philip faced his diagnosis with courage and bravery. The expertise, knowledge, professionalism and kindness of the oncology and palliative teams in Mayo University Hospital and Galway University Hospital helped us to cope and carried us through our cancer journey along with the support of The Irish Cancer Society (ICS) who provided night nurses.  Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.
Philip was forever a true gentleman who never complained and as always tried to protect us, his family, from the stress caused by his illness. He was a wonderful loving husband and dad. I am blessed and privileged to have met him. He was my best friend, my protector, my advisor, my sounding board and so much more. I am honoured to have shared 28 years of my life with this wonderful quiet gentle giant who was part of everything good in my life.
Philip passed away peacefully at his home with his family beside him on August 22, 2022.
Myself, Padraic and Danny miss him every second of every day. Rest in peace my soul mate. We will love you to the moon and back always. We will be forever thankful to everyone who walked beside us on this very difficult and frightening journey.