Eddie setup In shore Rescue
THE FUNERAL will take place today (Tuesday) of well-known Wexfordman Edward (Eddie) Ferguson whose sudden death last Friday has caused deep shock and sadness to his family and many friends.
Requiem Mass will be held in Bride Street Church at midday, followed by burial in St Ibar’s Cemetery, Crosstown. The RNLI will provide a guard of honour at the funeral.
Mr Ferguson (63) of Mulgannon was the driving force behind the setting up Wexford Harbour Inshore Rescue, which was later taken over by the RNLI.
A longstanding member and former vice-commodore of Wexford Harbour Boat Club, he was involved on a personal volunteer basis in many rescue and recovery missions in the harbour before campaigning for five years to bring a lifeboat service back to Wexford, following the death of Wexford musician Paddy Busher, who drowned in the River Slaney.
The efforts of a local committee which he spearheaded, proved successful when the Inshore Rescue was established in 1998 and subsequently adopted by the RNLI in 2002.
In a tribute, the volunteer crew of Wexford Lifeboat said they were deeply saddened by the loss of Eddie whom they described as ‘the brainchild’ of Wexford Harbour Inshore Rescue.
‘Eddie spent years working on bringing a lifeboat service back to Wexford and in 1998 was successful. Eddie served as the ‘senior helmsman’ since 1998 and was involved in many rescues. His unique character, smile and enthusiasm for new inventions will live in the hearts of those who knew him in the Search and Rescue community’.
In October 2014, a proud Eddie and members of the committee behind the Inshore Rescue project were honoured by the unveiling of a monument stone at Wexford RNLI Lifeboat Station as a memorial to the late Paddy Busher and fellow founding members Davy Lynch, Paul Fenlon, Billy Morris, Ger Busher, Nick Bowie and Jack Higginbotham.
Eddie was given the honour of unveiling the monument which can be seen from the footpath outside of Wexford RNLI Station. At the ceremony, RNLI divisional operations manager Owen Medland thanked Eddie and the founding committee for their hard work and dedication.
Known for being gifted with his hands, Eddie started work in the former Elwex, bulb-manufacturing plant in Whitemill Industrial Estate established by Jürgen and Helga Sassmannshausen and after the factory closed in 1986, he became a self-employed engineer. For the past several years, he worked in Smurfits of Cork.
The teenage Eddie joined Elwex as a first year apprentice fitter in 1971 and became a highly valued employee. In a tribute to him this week the former owners recalled that he was ‘always helpful, friendly, ingenious and capabale of solving every mechanical problem’ and he was also known for his ‘cheerful personality and warm smile’.
According to Jürgen and Helga, he became an exceptional mechanic who was sought after by many other companies for his creative solutions.
Eddie is survived by his beloved partner Pam; his sons TJ and Simon; his sisters Maureen and Caroline; brothers Dick and Noel; his granddaughters Keela and Alanna; his mother-in-law Breda; his sisters-inlaw; daughters-in-law and his extended family, friends and neighbours.