POIGNANT TRIBUTE TO THE LATE JOY
THE death of Joy Bergin (nee O’Connor), a well-known and much-loved employee of Pettitt’s SuperValu supermarket in St. Aidan’s Shopping Centre, has caused widespread sadness among her family, friends and neighbours and a large community of shoppers in Wexford.
Joy (64) of St. Aidan’s Crescent died in Knockeen Nursing Home on August 18 after being diagnosed with a brain tumour almost a year and a half earlier. Her passing came just five months following the death on March 7 of her beloved husband Jim (63) who had been diagnosed with cancer 17 years ago.
The couple both worked in the retail sector in Wexford - Jim was a popular TV repairman in Joyces on the Main Street for many years - and they were well known through their daily contact with customers. On a personal level, they came as a package and you never saw one without the other.
On the day of her funeral, Pettitt’s Supermarket placed a large photograph of Joy alongside a bunch of flowers at Number 1 check-out in her honour and the premises closed down for her funeral service.
Uniformed staff of the supermarket formed a guard of honour along the route as her coffin left Bride Street Church via St. Aidan’s Crescent on its way to Crosstown Cemetery where she was buried alongside Jim.
Up to early last year when she became ill, Joy had worked in Pettitt’s for 15 years, serving on the check-outs from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. five days a week. She became a favourite among the customers whom she treated as friends rather than shoppers and also among her fellow staff. Her name suited her perfectly as she was always full of joy and had a smile that would light up a room.
At her funeral, some Pettitt’s customers told her family that they would only ever bring their groceries to Joy’s check-out.
Joy is survived by her sons Jim, Ian and Stewart; her brother Paddy; sisters Beatrice, Bridget, Ann, Celine and Mary; her daughters-in-law Lorraine, Dena and Wendy; her mother-in-law Agnes; her grandchildren; nephews and nieces, and by her extended family and many friends.
A daughter of the late Paddy and Bridget 0’Connor of St. Aidan’s Crescent, Joy lived all her life in the family home. On leaving school, she worked in Woolworths on the Main Street, alongside most of her sisters, and when the store closed down, she took a few years off to look after her children. Later, she joined Wexford Electronix in Trinity Street and worked there for about 15 years before starting in Pettitt’s.
In her spare time, she was a keen gardener, a hobby she shared with Jim, and the garden at St. Aidan’s Crescent was their pride and joy.
Joy was sociable and fun-loving and adored dancing. At family weddings and parties, she and Jim were the first to take to the dance floor and the last to leave.
They were married in 1976 and were together for over 40 years. Jim, from Roche’s Terrace, had previously worked in Redmond Electric in Gorey. After being diagnosed with cancer in 2000, he regularly travelled to Sweden for specialist treatment at a hospital in Upsala and Joy would accompany him on the journey.
They both loved clothes and were very stylish. Jim had a passion for after shave and was always buying different brands. He enjoyed listening to music of all kinds and was a great fan of the Bee Gees.
After he left Joyce’s, he developed an interest in art and painting landscapes, including many pictures of the quayfront. He also wrote poetry for many years.
The couple went walking together in the afternoons, usually stopping for a browse in a few shops around the locality along the way. On Friday nights, they were to be found in Browne’s of Bishopswater where Jim was chairman of the social club and he also served as quiz master, calling out the questions for the weekly quiz.
At Joy’s funeral Mass in Bride Street Church, their sons Jim, Ian and Stewart paid emotional tributes to both their parents. Stewart read out a poem called simply ‘Joy’ which Jim had written for his wife.
There was a huge turn-out at Joy’s funeral, as there had been at Jim’s. Bride Street Church was packed with mourners who turned up to pay a sad farewell to a woman who touched many people during her lifetime.