ItsgoingtobealotquieterwithoutourJoe.Thatsforsure. Itshardtobelievesuchalargerthanlifecharactercouldeverbeboxedoff. Andthetruthis,ofcourse,heneverwillbe. OurgreatfamilyfriendMsgrCharlessaidtomelastmonthJoewasanimpressiveman.Howtrue. Hewasimpressiveofintellect,impressivelyquickwittedandimpressivelyopinionatedAlways. And he was impressive in stature.

When you met him, he was a towering presence. But he never abused that. He was never pushy or inyourface. More using one thumbnail to pick against the otherashenodded,andbashfullylookedtooneside. OurJoewas,byturns,

hilarious; infuriating; sentimental; cantankerous; loving; belligerent; shy.

Veryshy,infact.Amanofcontrasts.Butmorethananything,hewasmyDad.OurDad.AndIloved him.Welovedhim.Wartsandall. God,hecouldbedifficult.HecouldvewonOlympicGoldat5successiveGamesforbeingawkward. ButhewasthedriestpersonIevermet,witharapierwit,andatruecomedianssenseoftiming. Thebiggestironyofallwasheoftenspokewithoutthinking,yethewasathoughtful man:smart, wellread,knowledgeable,inquisitiveAshemighthaveputit,hewasnogoghorn.Yetheregretted it, with true remorse, mere seconds after hed bitten your head off. It was just our Joe. We knew that.AsmyMummemorablysaid:deepdown,hewasassoftasmypocket.Andshewasright. AsIgrew,IalsogrewtolovehimmorethanIcanpossiblybegintodescribe.Irecallsendinghima textlastChristmas,thefirstin40yearsIdnotbeenhome.AndIthought:Whatthehelljustend it with love,Anthony. Now, of course, we dontdo that in Wigan. Oh, we get hit over the head withabrollyifweforgettoputloveonourMumsbirthdaycard.ButwithourDadsweneverput that,nomatterthatwedothinkit.Butthistime,Idid.AndIknowheappreciatedit.Becauseitwas theonlytextheneverrepliedto.AndyetandyetitwasamongtheSaveditemsonhisphone. Hecould be tight.Famouslytight.Dropapoundanditdhit himon thebackof thehead.Butwe wantedfornothing.Healwaysprovided.Heworkedwithout complaint.By thatImeanhealways wenttowork,buthedcertainlybepassingcommentalldayaboutthis,thatandtheother:Her! Him!Shesnotallthere,her.Hesacrackpot.Hehadeverybodyweighedup.Once.Andforalltime. No,ourJoenevermissedwork.Heneverthrewasickie.Attheageof16,asmygranddadbecame terminallyill,hehadtogiveupschoolandturnbreadwinnerforthefamily.Thisscrawny,stickthin ladinhismidteenshadtogodownthepittosupportmyNan,mygranddad,UncleMichael,Uncle KevinandAuntieRita.Twicehebrokehiscollarboneintheprocess.Oh,hewasagrafter,allright

Later,attheG.P.O.(whatwastobecomeBT)heworkedsohardeverybitofovertimeonoffer andallbecausehelovedus.AndhelovedmyMum. SaintMarjorie.Thatswhatweusedtojoke.Thoughweknewfullwellthemostimportantpersonin theworldtomyDadwasmyMum.And,letsfaceit,withsomanycouples,thatcantalwaysbesaid. It can not be taken for granted. Most couples have their kids over a period of a handful of years; they had us over 20. It says an awful lot. And my Dads advice all throughout my life was simple: DontupsetyerMum.HelovedmyMum,andshelovedhim,andtheylovedus.Illrememberfor the rest of my days the tenderness with which my Mum mopped my Dads brow and stroked his cheek in the hospital. This June would have marked their Golden Wedding. Over half a century of loveforoneanotherandforus.Andtheytaughtallfiveofushowtolove.And,ofcourse,attimes lovehurts.Especiallytoday.Butwemustletit. Andhowgreatsomanyofyouareheretosupportus.MyDadwouldhavebeenincrediblytouched. Buthewouldnthavewantedanyfuss,ofcourse.Hehatedanyshow.Irememberhiminapew,to theleft,afewrowsback.Itwas10oclockMassonaSunday,packedtotherafters,andhedbeen volunteered by my Mum to take the gifts round with her before the offertory. The two of them,doingalapofthechurchtogether,infullviewofeverybody.Henearlydiedthatday. Lastmonth,intheIntensiveCareUnit,whenhewasterriblyill,heretainedhisdignitytotheend. Theyheldhandsandreminiscedaboutthetimetheymet.HowmyMumwasconvincedhemustve reallylikedherasheinsistedonwalkingherhomeaftereverydance;aftereverytriptothepictures. Itwasonlylaterhetoldheritwasbecausehewasskintandhadnobusfare.Howwelaughed.The mostdesperateofsituations,inintensivecare,andthepairofthemwouldhaveyoulaughing.We alwayslaugh.Werealwayssearchingforajoke.Theygaveallofustheirterrificsensesofhumour. IdwalkintothelivingroomandhedbeonthephonetoacallcentreinIndia.Itwascomedygold. Butperhapsnotforhere. ButwhocouldeverforgetthespeechhegaveatourAnnemarieswedding?Hisspeechwasntjusta highlightof2010;thoughwedidntperhapsrealiseitatthetime,itwasahighlightofourlives. Running through him was a fundamental decency. He was always cleanshaven; always wore a tie whenever he went out. If anything came on the telly that was a bit lewd or smutty, it would be turnedoff.Itcouldvebeenthebiggestblockbusterinyears,butsomuchasahintofswearing,and bump,itdbeoff,withoutcomment.FasterthanifLiverpoolhadjustwonalivegame.Bump.Off. Didnt he just love a moan. Politicians of every party got both barrels. The Royal Family all wanteddrowninginabucket(andhedhavedoneit),andSirEltonJohnwantedbloodyburning. For all his bluster, only one person escaped any criticism. Whatsoever. The Pope. When we were growingup,heusedtotellus:Gettothatchurch.DontupsetyerMum.Gettothatchurch.He didntgohimself.Butwehadto.Andthen,allofasudden,hestartedgoingtoo.Everyweek. TwiceIwasluckyenoughtobeatTheVaticanwithmyMumandDadandIcouldseewhatitmeant tothem.Forhisseventieth,wewenttoNewYorkwhereMsgrCharlessaidMassformyDadinSt Patricks Cathedral on his actual birthday. Afterwards, to one side to avoid any standing on ceremony, the rector of the cathedral, Msgr Ritchie and Charlie presented my Dad with a papal

blessingsignedbyHisHolinessPopeBenedictXVItocommemoratehisseventieth.Itwasonlythe third time I ever saw him cry. The first was when his grandmother died (how he loved Great Grandma Ruddy); the second was when he read the dedication to my PhD thesis (though I didnt thinkitwasquitethatbadmyself);andthiswasthethirdtimeablessingfromthePope.Hewas chokedup,andcouldntspeak.AproudCatholic.Andamanoffaith. Andsowhatnext? Well,whyarewehere,inthisplace?Whyisthisplaceevenhere?Andrepeatedallacrossourtown: StAndrews,StEddies,StCuthberts,StAidans,StJudes,StBernadetes,StMariesWhyisWigan pepperedwiththeseplaces?Andourcountry?Andourworld?Weneedtowakeup. My Dad was frightened near the end. He was always frightened of dying. But its all right to be frightened. Christ Himself was frightened in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was petrified. God incarnate,petrified.ButHeshowedustheway.Herosefromthedead.Andinhere,StJohntellsus thewordsofChrist:WhoevereatsmybodyanddrinksmybloodwillhavelifeeverlastingandIwill raisehimuponthelastday.ItsthemostunambiguouslineinthewholeBible.WellmyDaddid justthat.HeatethebodyandbloodofChristatMassthousandsoftimes. No,thisshouldntbecalledtheGoodNews.ItshouldbecalledTheSuperbNews.TheMostExcellent News. Its the reason why in 1938, the year of my Dads birth, this place was built; why all the churches exist that we pass going to school or to work or to the DW Stadium or the pub or anywhere,forthatmatter.StMichaels,StMarys,StJohns,StCatherines,StPats,WiganParish ChurchEachone,standingtall,testimonytotheTruth.Atruthwedontmuchcareforaswego aboutourdaytodaylives.Weretoobusytobother.Wellweneedtowakeup. ItsquiteliterallytheGospelTruth,anditsareality,rightnow,formyDad.

JOSEPHPATRICKFITZPATRICK borntolife23September1938 borntoeternallife1April2011

AprilFoolsDay.Hedhavelikedthat.

So,assadadayasitistoday,werejoicebecauseweknowmyDadexistsandpersists.Andisvery probablyhavingadowithStPeterrightnow.Somethingaboutcricket.Orthepriceofale. ThatsourJoe.Thatswhowelove. Quieteritmayhavebecomedownhere.Butthatvoicehassimplymovedelsewhereforatime. Illmisshisadvice;hisopinion;hisoccasionalbark;hishopelessimpatience;hisdecency;hislove;his prideinallofus.Butmostofall,Illmisshisvoice.Avoiceisallimportantwhenyouliveoverseas Thisweek,whenyougetaquietminutewaitingforabus,peggingoutthewashingorjustwalking downthestreetpleasesayaprayerformyMum,andformyDad. Till we hear his voice again, and laugh with him again, well just have to continue to love him, everything about him, warts and all. Thanks for everything, Dad. God bless you. Youll be so, so dearlymissed.

Thankyou.