Eulogy for Mike Mooney
1.1.1931 - 29.10.2009
by Chris Mooney
Read at his funeral
Firstly on behalf of my brother, Mick, and myself we'd like to thank you all for coming here today.
We're here to say goodbye to Michael Mooney. He was named Michael but was known as 'Hip' to his friends at Morleys and Benfield Motors. 'Hip' was his response to their 'good mornings'. So he became known as 'Hip'.
He was Father to two, Grandfather to four and Uncle to many more, but everybody called him Mike. So we're here to say our goodbyes to Mike.
Mike led a relatively simple life and was undemanding in nature. Born, one of six children. Growing up during the second world war. Starting work at the age of 14 and, apart from a break while he did his National Service, there he remained for the next 51 years until he retired at 65. He married, our mum, Sylvie and us two kids were born.
A simple life, focused on his family.
There was, however, something remarkable about Mike and that was his robust health and fitness. In all of the 51 years he worked I think he only had two weeks off due to ill health. And that was while he recovered from an operation. He hardly had a day's illness in his life. He put this down to the fact that he walked to work every day. Whatever the weather there he'd be striding along the Scotswood Road either to or from work.
He loved to walk. Even when he retired and no longer had to go to work he enjoyed going for a walk. He'd go 'just round the block' to get a paper, but was a six mile block and he'd do that nearly every day. One of his happiest memories was walking in the hills while we were holidaying in Aberuchill Castle in Scotland. I think it was one of the happiest times for the horse flies too. He was their walking banquet. He'd come back bitten to pieces. But the next day off he went again.
His other great pleasure was bowls or 'old man's marbles' as we used to call them. He started playing bowls with Kit, his Father-in-Law, our Granddad. He took to it and became quite good. Playing for the team from Walker Park and he even got his name in the national press as part of a bowls team. He played in-door bowls at Eldon Square and occasionally at Burradon after he and our Mum, Sylvie, moved to Killingworth.
They moved to Killingworth to be closer to my brother Mick, Julie and the boys. And I'm ever so pleased they did. Not only did they see Michael and David grow into the two lovely young men they are today but it meant they were close to Family when it was needed.
In 2002 when Sylvie passed away the fact that Mick and Julie were close by and that they'd look after Mike was a great comfort to us. I'd like to thank them so much for doing all that they have done, for both Sylvie and Mike. Thank you both.
After Sylvie passed Mike trudged along with life at the same old steady pace. Walking round the six mile block to get the papers. Walking into the town to play bowls, and then walking home again. He even walked from Killingworth to the Angel of the North and home again. For a man in his mid seventies... remarkable.
On some of his walks he'd see his own reflection in the windows of a pub and say to himself 'Hello Bonnie lad, you look a bit thirsty' so he'd pop in and have a bottle of brown 'just to keep the dust down'.
He also loved his sport, especially his football, and loved going up the club with Mick, having a pint, and watching the Match.
My wife, Tina, and I moved out to Cyprus in 2006 and were delighted when Mike, who'd never been out of the country before, came to see us. He didn't like Cyprus that much because it was too hot and there weren't any proper trees. Mike loved the Northeast, loved the trees and the greenery. 
For a man in such robust health, it was a great shock to us all when he suffered a heart attack about seven months ago. Although there were one or two other ailments that niggled at him, we thought that he was well on the mend and that we'd be coming over to celebrate his 80th birthday in January of 2011.
Sadly that was not to be. We are here today to say our last goodbyes.
We loved you Dad and we will miss you.
YASSOO PADTERRA MOU
O THEOS MAK - A - RISI SE
November 2009