Canon Bob lived a long, happy life and found joy in the simple things
THE late Canon Robert Jennings died earlier this month, just two days after his 94th birthday.
Mourners at Bob’s funeral ceremony in Newcastle on Saturday, September 15, heard that he had lived a long, happy and fulfilled life and often assured his family members that he was not afraid of death.
Bob was born to John, a clergyman, and Anna, a teacher, and was the sixth of eight children. He spent most of his childhood in Kildallon, County Cavan, and he and his brother, Stanley, recently shared many reminiscences of those happy times.
Bob was ordained 70 years ago and, after serving as a curate in Omagh, joined the British Army where he served for 17 years. He was quickly posted to the war in Korea as Chaplain to the Welch Regiment, which was part of a UN force. While in Korea, he experienced the harshest and darkest of times which stayed with him for life. He had a local Korean craftsmen use brass shell cases to create a cross, which proudly sits on the east window of Newcastle Parish Church. During the war, he used this for Holy Communion services both in his tented church and, when necessary, on the bonnet of his jeep. The hospitality and gratitude shown to him by the Embassy of South Korea and citizens of that country during the armistice 60th anniversary visit meant a great deal to him.
He served with several different regiments during his time in the army, including the Parachute Regiment with whom he was proud to have jumped more than 40 times.
One of Bob’s postings was to Aldershot in Hampshire where he met and married his wife Jean. They were happily married for more than 47 years before Jean’s untimely death in 2003. She was a constant support in all he undertook throughout their married life.
At one stage, he was posted to British Guiana where his family was not allowed to accompany him. He arrived home with presents – bunches of wild bananas and a stuffed alligator. The alligator was instantly banned from the house as it frightened the life out of the children!
Once the family grew to include five children, the constant travelling of army life became rather arduous and Bob returned to Ireland as Rector of the Killeshandra group of parishes in County Cavan.
True to form, Bob set about improving the church, the rectory lands and the school, where proper flushing loos were first on the list. He supplemented his income by farming the small acreage that came with the rectory. His children remember his glee when, one month, his milk payment from the creamery exceeded his stipend.
At the end of 1970, he was instituted to the grouped parishes of Newcastle, Newtownmountkennedy with Calary and was rector for 22 years. Calary was an addition to the group at that time and Bob loved going up there to take services. One of his proudest achievements was finally realised with the opening of Saint Francis National School.
To his children, Bob was simply Dad. As they grew up, however, they realised they had to share him with many groups of people who were important to him; from the soldiers in his various postings, his parishioners, older and younger members of the community and the many friends he made along the way.
A unique character, he grew from a shy and awkward young boy in Cavan into a man who travelled the world, fathered a family and touched the lives of many people. Since his death, his family members have been uplifted by the number of people who have told them what he meant to them.
He was never really content unless he had some project or other on the go. Bob, along with Jean and other like-minded people, worked long and hard to set up services for children with special educational needs in the Wicklow area.
He was equally concerned about older folk and was an enthusiastic member of a Diocesan committee working on the development of housing for the elderly and hospice care.
Bob had a strong sense of community and in his first few years in the parish struck up a friendship with Father Paddy Finn, the local Parish Priest. They worked well together and organised many joint community projects. It was in that spirit of community that Bob expressly wished that Fr Derek Doyle be invited to participate in his funeral.
Bob had a wonderful openness of spirit and enthusiasm for life with a vast range of interests. When he finally retired in 1992, he had the time to join numerous clubs and societies. Among others, he was a member of Newcastle Residents’ Association, Greystones Active Retirement Association, Probus, the British Legion, UN Veterans, several Historical Societies, CHA, Newcastle Bowling Club and more. He often connected the different aspects of his life. For example, his love of travel led him to South Africa where he made the connection between Himeville in South Africa and Sir Alfred Hime of Kilcoole.
The natural world was one of his passions and he took great delight in using the beautiful panels on the door of the church to illustrate various aspects of nature. He passed on his great love of wildlife to his grandchildren, spending a lot of time with them and bringing them on all sorts of jaunts outdoors. Even in his last days and weeks, he took great pleasure in simply sitting in his sunroom watching the birds in his garden.
When his family finally persuaded him to stop driving, his car was pretty much worthless and rather than let it go to waste, he used it for storing bird seed and logs for the fire. Mainly, it was his appreciation of and joy in the simplest things in the world that were infectious. Because of that, it was always uplifting spending time with Bob.
He was fascinated by history and archaeology and wrote several books on local history. He was keen to encourage the preservation of local buildings, artefacts and historical features of the landscape. He was always an enthusiastic participant in Heritage Week and, in 2016, he was crowned ‘Heritage Person of the Year’ at the County Wicklow People of the Year Awards. Prior to his death he was involved in trying to establish a heritage park for County Wicklow at Ballyremon Common, close to the Sugar Loaf, as it boasts numerous heritage sites.
Bob was also a very keen walker who could outwalk people half his age. At the age of 72, he climbed Dunran, Djouce and the Sugar Loaf, all before breakfast, to raise money for church funds.
Later in his retirement, he took up travelling again – firstly with his sister Sheila and then with Florrie, whom he met on one of these excursions. Florrie brought him much happiness and friendship during the last years of his life.
Their cousin has told Bob’s children that when his own father died last year, Bob had a quiet word with him and said, ‘always remember the spirit of those departed lives on in their children.’
Those who were privileged to have had Bob as a father, grandfather or great-grandfather feel sure that his spirit will live on in each one of them in different ways.
He touched many people’s lives in a very special way and his family hope he will live on through these memories.
His family said that Bob was a wonderful man and that they are extremely proud of him and the life he led. Losing him has left a void that cannot be filled and he will be greatly missed and mourned by his family and friends.
Canon Thomas Robert (Bob) Jennings is survived by his children, Kerry, Rosaleen, Clodagh, Katie and Robert; his grandchildren, Nick, Kit, Simon, Jeannie, Kerry, Adam, Emily, Sarah and Jack; and his great-grandchildren, Eli, Jacob, Indi and Ariella. He is also sadly missed by his daughter and sons-in-law, his surviving siblings, Stanley and Sheila, and a wide circle of family and friends.