The late George Mortimer If Heaven's gates opened for anybody it was surely George Mortimer. The Shrule man, who passed away on Saturday evening September 2, 2006, was certainly one of the most highly regarded people in Mayo and following his passing, has been described by many as 'one of life's true gentlemen'. Born and reared in Lecanvey, outside Westport, George was a wonderful son, an amazing brother, a fantastic uncle and grandfather and a great friend to one and all. George fell ill but true to form, he was not one of life's complainers and up until the end, always had a good and positive word for everybody. In his youth, growing up at the family home in Lecanvey, George was an avid footballer and spent many happy hours in the fields near his home with with family, friends and neighbours, kicking a ball and enjoying the simple things in life. His interest in Handball was also to the fore during his childhood and George was happiest when he was playing with either the small of the big ball. Even as a child, George was a joy to be around and would always bring out the very best in everybody he knew and encountered. George was educated in Westport and attended the Christian Brothers School in the town. Throughout his schooling, George was a model student and would often assist friends in need. He never asked for much and was delighted with the small treats that life bestowed upon him. From school, George went on to work in Noone's of Milltown, where he learned the trade in hardware and groceries. Here, he laboured alongside his friend and confidant, Dermot Burke from Knock, and the two spent so much time together that they became in separable. After a number of years, George moved to Shrule and began working in Mullins' store in the South Mayo town. His hard-working nature and dedication to the task at hand meant that he was soon promoted to Manager of the store and worked there happily for many years. George had ambition and drive and before long, he opened his own shop in Shrule, beginning small at first but soon progressing to a large and successful business, operating as a general merchant. George was held in high esteem among the community and, out on the road, he was valued and appreciated by one and all. The Mortimer business was located on the Main Street in the small town and the family lived beside their store for many years George had a large staff working for him in Shrule and his VG store, sold groceries, agricultural supplies and operated petrol pumps outside the shop. It was during his early years in Shrule that George met and married Evelyn and together, the couple raised their eight children. The family business continued to grow and prosper and soon, George had a number of travelling shops on the road. As a businessman and as a person, George was always extremely well regarded and the people in the surrounding towns and villages loved to see George pop by. George thought nothing of helping people out and often rose from his bed in the middle of the night to serve a passing traveller. The family continued to live beside their shop in Shrule from many years and George worked hard during those years to support his family. When George retired, his son Frank took over the running of the business, taking a keen interest in quarrying. The Mortimers then moved to the Dalgan Road in Shrule, where they built a house alongside Frank and his family. The passing of George Mortimer on Saturday, 2 September, 2006 was met with great sadness and regret throughout the Parish of Shrule and indeed all around the country. The 84-years-old was hugely respected in Shrule and beyond and he will long be remembered and missed by his large circle of family and friends. George Mortimer was a staunch Mayo supporter and prided himself on the he fact that three of his grandsons, Kenneth, Trevor and Conor, wore the Mayo colours with such enthusiasm and skill. From their early childhood, George always fostered a great love for GAA in his children and grandchildren and as soon as the Mortimer trio began to kick the football, George was supportive and encouraging every step of the way. An unbelievably proud grandfather, George would often drive the lads to football training in their youth and was delighted whenever he got the chance to watch them play, both for Shrule-Glencorrib and for the Mayo team. The youngest of the Mortimer trio, Conor began playing football at 13 years of age and was soon selected for the Mayo School of Excellence. As Conor prepared to take to Croke Park for the All-Ireland Final, he took time out to look back on his own childhood and recalled that George used to bring the three brothers everywhere. In addition to being central to the start of Conor's football career, it was George who also started Kenneth and Treavor off at U-16. "He was continuously with the three of us and can only be described as a unique man. It's only when you lose someone that you realise what a person is like and all they've done for you. It never entered my head that he was ever going to go. As far as I was concerned, he'd always be there for me. "Granny's the same way, we've always looked at them in that way. It was only in the last few weeks that he got really sick and I always thought that I'd go down some day and he's be fine, back to full health and normal again. He passed away on September 2nd, 2006 and, to be honest, I haven't thought about it to a certain degree yet" Conor admitted. Conor described George as an 'avid fan', explaining that he never missed a Mayo or a Shrule game, wether his grandsons were playing or not. "He was a big supporter and a hard-working man. He was very proud of his grandchildren, of all of them, not just the footballers. George was an unbelievable person and Nanny was always the same way. Together, they were always bringing us along. They've taught us so much and now it's up to us to look after Nanny and keep her strong." In addition to supporting his own family in their footballing lives, George was on of the unsung heroes of Mayo football and, according to Cathal Hennelly, the Assistant Treasurer of Mayo County Board, George gave a great deal to Mayo GAA down through the years. "George gave an enormous contribution to the young lads in South Mayo,. There was no chore too small or too big for George and many a time, he would drive to Galway city to collect lads from work and bring g them to Castlebar for training. Along his route, he would pick up any of the other lads who needed a lift and convey them to training as well," Cathal explained. "While the lads would be training, George would happily sit in the car and read the newspaper and when they were all finished, he'd drive them home again. George had a lovely disposition. He always had a smile for every one and always seemed to be in good humour. I couldn't speak highly enough about him" said Cathal. Although his health wasn't at its best, George insisted on getting up to watch the Semi-Final at his home in Shrule and never gave up hope that the team would secure a place in the Final. When all around him doubted the victory over Dublin, George simply sat back and waited. He knew the lads could do it and his faith was to be rewarded with one of the greatest Mayo come backs of all time, inspired in large part by his grandson, Conor. Aside from his passion for football, George was a devout Catholic and was a regular at the various religious ceremonies, novenas and vigils in Knock. George would often drive to Claremorris to collect his sister Loretta (Grogan) and together the close siblings were most regular attendants at Mass in Shrule and often went to eight Masses in a week - one everyday and two on a Sunday. George had a close family circle and although he was massively popular among the community, George liked to keep to himself to a large degree. He had a quiet disposition and was a loving and devoted husband, father, brother, relative and friend. A great family man, George was deeply saddened last March, 2006, when his only brother, Stanley, passed away. George battled his illness in silence for some time, never one to complain or seek sympathy. He was surrounded by his wife of 58 years Evelyn, as well as many of his family members on Saturday, September 2, in his home on Dalgan Road in Shrule when he passed away peacefully. A huge crowd turned out in Shrule to pay their respects for a man who had touched so many lives. Deepest sympathy is extended to George's loving wife Evelyn; sons Frank, Dermot, Oliver, Stan, George and Austin; daughters Helen and Loretta; sisters Loretta (Claremorris) and Dolores (England); sisters-in-law; brothers-in-law; 26 grandchildren and four great-grand children; nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Ni bheith a leithid ann aris. - Crona Esler Courtesy of The Western People 12/09/2006 Tweet

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