Beautiful Valarie always had a smile on her face
THE community in Kilnamanagh are saddened following the passing of one of the founding members of the Kilnamanagh Credit Union, Valerie Sheils.
Valerie, who was well-known and loved by many in the Kilnamanagh area, sadly passed away surrounded by her loving family at Bellvilla Nursing Home on October 23.
Valerie will be sadly missed by her husband Frank and son John, as well as daughter-in-law Dervilla, grandchildren Sean and Sarah, brothers Tony and David and all of her extended family and friends.
Valerie was very much involved in community life in Kilnamanagh, being one of the key founding members of the credit union there in the mid-eighties and being issued ‘member number 1’ by the ‘study group’ before the credit union officially opened on February 13, 1987.
“It was Valerie who got in touch first about getting a credit union set up in Kilnamanagh, so herself and her husband Frank would have been keen, and they instigated the first meeting in the school hall about it,” said Marie Sealy, friend of Valerie’s from Kilnamanagh credit union.
“When the Credit Union opened in 1987, Valerie was the supervisor and Frank was treasurer for a long time, so both of them were very involved.
“If it wasn’t for Valerie, we might have had a Credit Union, but we wouldn’t have got it when we did, and she was very proud of Kilnamanagh Credit Union.”
Community involvement is something Valerie passed down to her son John, who is a club volunteer for St Kevin’s Killian’s GAA Club along with his wife Dervilla, who is a club mentor.
As a mark of respect for Valerie, the Kilnamanagh Credit Union closed for a day yesterday, Wednesday, October 27 when Valerie’s funeral took place at The Augustinian Church, John’s Lane.
Tributes poured in online following Valerie’s passing, with people remembering her as “a beautiful person who always had a smile on her face” and a “lovely woman”.
“Valerie was very outgoing, loved the craic and a joke and she was very much a community person”, said Marie. “She was always great craic and the first up to the dance floor and she will be missed by everyone.”
