Farewell to director and author Simon (43)
THE funeral of Greystones man and acclaimed director and author Simon Fitzmaurice took place last Saturday afternoon at St Kilian’s Church.
Simon died last Thursday at the age of 43, following a long battle with motor neurone disease.
His is survived by his wife Ruth, children Jack, Raife, Arden, Sadie and Hunter, his parents Florence and Damien, sisters Ruth and Kate and their husbands Chris and Pierre-Yves, uncle Bobby, extended family, relatives and many friends.
He was diagnosed in 2008 and given four years to live, but Simon defied the odds.
He went on to write the acclaimed book ‘It’s Not Yet Dark’, wrote and direct the film ‘My Name is Emily’, and make the film of ‘It’s Not Yet Dark’, narrated by Colin Farrell.
The film was nominated for an IFTA.
THE funeral of Greystones man and acclaimed director and author Simon Fitzmaurice took place last Saturday afternoon at St Kilian’s Church.
Simon died last Thursday at the age of 43, following a long battle with motor neurone disease. His is survived by his wife Ruth, children Jack, Raife, Arden, Sadie and Hunter, his parents Florence and Damien, sisters Ruth and Kate and their husbands Chris and Pierre-Yves, uncle Bobby, extended family, relatives and many friends.
He was diagnosed in 2008 following a promising start to his film-making career in which he had made two award-winning shorts (Full Circle, The Sound of People).
Simon was diagnosed the same day that his wife, Ruth, found out she was pregnant with their third child, and although he was initially given only four years to live he defied the odds and fathered two more children, twins Hunter and Sadie, who joined siblings Arden, Raife and Jack.
Simon went on to chronicle his experience with motor neuron disease in his bestselling book ‘It’s Not Yet Dark’ (2014), which was adapted into a feature film that was narrated by Colin Farrell and directed by Frankie Fenton (2016), and was nominated for an IFTA.
In 2015, despite his illness, Simon wrote and directed his first feature-length film, ‘My Name is Emily’, which starred Evanna Lynch, Martin McCann, Cathy Belton and Michael Smiley. The film also received multiple IFTA nominations.
‘It’s Not Yet Dark’ (2016), follows Simon as he embarks on his directorial debut, directing the entire movie through the use of eye-gaze technology. ‘It’s Not Yet Dark’ (2017), opened in cinemas in Ireland on Friday, October 13.
Ruth Fitzmaurice has also written a book about her family’s experience of coping with the diagnosis and living with motor neuron disease in ‘I Found My Tribe.’
A large crowd attended the moving ceremony, which included much of Simon’s own work, as well as contributions from members of his family.
‘He loved people,’ said Simon’s sister Ruth. ‘He always found the beauty, the vulnerable beauty, of a person. He always made you feel special. He had that ability to look you in the eyes and really see you.
‘Simon was full of energy, I don’t know where he got his energy. He was always go, go, go, no time to be wasted. He had an exhilaration and love of life, full of laughter and life all the time, while also managing to be sensitive and thoughtful.
‘Simon the poet, Simon the writer, the joker, the debater, the storyteller, the director, Simon was full of pure love. Love for his family. Love for his friends. Simon you will be so very, very missed, we love you.’
His sister Kate said that there had been an ‘outpouring of love’ from Greystones and beyond following Simon’s death.
His children Jack, Raife and Arden read prayers of the faithful, and Sadie and Hunter brought up the gifts.
Simon’s wife Ruth read the poem ‘ The Day is Done’ by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and his friend Phil McDarby read out Simon’s poem ‘Heart’.
Fr John Daly read out some of Simon’s own quotes, on the one hand referring to himself as a ‘stubborn b*****d’, and also saying ‘When I die, don’t say Simon loved films. Say Simon had as much love in him as blood.’
Singer-songwriter James Vincent McMorrow attended the funeral and performed ‘We Don’t Eat’, a favourite of Simon’s.
Lieut Cmdr Patricia Butler, aide-de-camp to President Michael D Higgins, attended the funeral, as well as Deputy Stephen Donnelly.
‘Simon stayed the course, night and day,’ read his uncle Bobby. ‘Simon did it his way. In paradise fare thee well, may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.’
Simon was laid to rest at Barniskey Cemetery, Avoca.