By 
OMAGH man Sean Monteith will be ‘remembered for his integrity and morals’, mourners at his funeral were told.
He died on November 11 at Altnagelvin Hospital, surrounded by his loving family. He was 86. Sean was the beloved husband of the late Kate, father to David and Gary, a much-loved grandfather, and a dear brother to Sheila, Winnie and Gerry, and the late Patsy, Maggie, Kevin and Tom.
At his Requiem Mass in the Sacred Heart Church on Saturday, parish priest Fr Canning paid tribute to a life built on hard work, loyalty and care for family.
“Sean Monteith will always be remembered as such a hardworking man all his life, even outside of work,” he said. “The great passion Sean had for work never failed him. Even when he felt overburdened, his passion never left him.”
Fr Canning reflected on Sean’s early life, noting that he was born in Lancaster in October 1939 before his parents returned to Ireland in 1941 and settled on farmland outside Fintona.
“It was there he spent all of his childhood, helping on the farm, which probably instilled the strong work ethic that remained with him,” he said.
Sean later moved to Belfast in 1950 for work.
Despite long days beginning early and ending at 6pm, he always made time for his family and his hobbies, watching films and football, especially Omagh Town and Manchester United.
“He loved music, especially Elvis and The Rolling Stones. He loved telling stories, reading and doing crosswords,” Fr Canning added.
Sean’s working life took him from Belfast to building sites in Lancashire and Omagh, before becoming warehouse manager at Leckpatrick on the Tamlaght Road, where he worked until his retirement in 2003.
“Sean will always be remembered as a man of integrity, with great morals and simple pleasures,” Fr Canning said.
Following the Mass, Sean was interred at Greenhill Cemetery on the Gortin Road.
