‘Everyone’s friend.’
That is the only way to sum up the formidable personality that was Gertie Logue, who passed away on Sunday.
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| The unforgettable Gertie |
Gertie, 63, was a wife, a sister, an aunt and a cousin, but to everyone she was a friend.
As she slipped away peacefully at Foyle Hospice, she was surrounded by all the people who loved her.
To some she was ‘Jerdie’, to others ‘Gurtie’, and the hundreds of people who attended her wake at her brother Christy’s home in Foyle Springs had dozens of stories to share about this warm and bubbly lady.
The youngest child of William and Gertrude Doherty, Gertie grew up in the Foyle Road, a place she often spoke about with happy memories.
Much of her working life was spent in Woolworths in Ferryquay Street, where she earned the accolade of being the longest serving employee, clocking up an impressive 38 years before her retirement.
When Gertie was in a room you knew it, she charmed everyone with her wit, her empathy and her endearing honesty.
When you asked Gertie a question, she told you the truth. It is this open and genuine personality that we will miss the most.
She had the biggest heart, always generous with her possessions and even more generous with her time.
Her two big loves were her husband Seamus, and shopping.
Seamus was her rock and best friend. Last year they celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. As a couple they loved to travel to England to visit Gertie’s sister Olive, and around Ireland, thanks to Gertie’s canny knack of saving her Supervalu tokens.
Several years ago Seamus and Gertie added a new addition to their family with their dog Alfie, a precious companion to both of them.
Saturdays in the town will never be the same again without seeing Gertie on her trademark scooter, shopping for the latest fashion, and drinking coffee in Costa or Marks and Spencer with her friends.
The last few years have not been easy for Gertie as she endured recurring bouts of ill health.She battled her illness courageously, always with a deep faith in God. She never spoke about her own illness or suffering, her first question to anyone coming through the door to visit her at Foyle Hospice was “How are you doing?”
In the funeral Mass Gertie left her own poignant message to all those who knew her: “Let all your thoughts of me be joyful, of things we shared and happy times we’ve known. I’ll meet you just beyond the Rainbow’s end.”
Gertie - wife, sister, aunt, cousin, friend and guardian of the custard creams, we don’t know what we are going to do without you.
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| My sister Rosaleen and Gertie. |
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| Seamus and Gertie |
