Angela spent her life working for community
TRIBUTES have poured in for Angela Copley, a notable activist who spent much of her life working tirelessly for the community of Ballyfermot.
The tragic loss of Angela on Tuesday (May 29), is all the more profound, arriving just three weeks after she lost her beloved husband Tim to illness on May 5.
Ms Copley (73), a former manager at Ballyfermot Resource Centre, and secretary of the Gurteen sports complex, was much loved by those who knew her over the years.
In recent years, Angela had been suffering from cancer, but she never let it get her down and continued to advocate for many causes.
Indeed, she welcomed The Echo into her Drumfinn home in 2015, despite battling early stages of the illness, to discuss local concerns surrounding the former health centre site on Ballyfermot Road, which had yet to be developed at the time.
Independent Councillor Vincent Jackson, who knew Angela very well, said there was a “huge amount of shock” at the passing.
“Angela was involved in so many projects over the years, through her work in the resource centre and the partnership. She put in a huge commitment and was a great community work advocate and supporter of other things like survivor abuse.”
Cllr Jackson continued: “Throughout all this, she kept up her religious faith, when it would have been easier to give up. She has two lovely sons Gary and Derek and a wonderful brother Cyril Crosbie, who was there with her all these difficult trips to St Luke’s and James’s.
“Angela was looking forward to coming home for the summer. It’s very sad. Her and Tim were a lovely couple. There is a bit of natural justice that they were not apart for long.”
A message on RIP.ie said Angela passed away in Our Lady’s Hospice on Tuesday, surrounded by her loving family.
“Beloved wife of the late Tim and loving mam of Gary and Derek, Angela will be very sadly missed by her sons and their partners, relatives, friends and neighbours.”
A funeral mass took place on Friday morning 10am in St Matthew’s Church, Ballyfermot.
