Died:\u00a0\u00a0 12th<\/sup> October 1980<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bobby grew up in Joseph Street, Shankill Road, he had four brothers and two sisters.\u00a0 He went into service in both the Royal and Merchant Navies.\u00a0 While in the Royal Navy he was awarded two medals, a distinguished service medal whilst serving during the Korean War and a United Nations Medal.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bobby married his sweetheart Sadie, and they had five kids, three daughters followed by two sons, he found work in power station west and also part-time work in Joe McKee\u2019s bookmakers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n At the out-break of the \u2018Troubles\u2019 he enlisted in \u2018B\u2019 Coy Ulster Volunteer Force, Bobby was arrested in May 1975 and twenty months later was sentenced to 14 years and entered compound 21, Long Kesh.\u00a0 During this period of incarceration he took up jogging, and unfortunately while on one of his runs, five and half years after his imprisonment, Bobby suffered a massive heart attack and passed away at the age of 51, leaving behind his still devoted wife and children.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n My memories are of a loving dad, who always put us, his three daughters and two sons first and foremost.\u00a0 Never once can I recall him ever raising his voice let alone his hand to us, but believe you me he had this certain look when one of us was pushing our luck, and the moment you spied it no words were needed.\u00a0 For you automatically knew you were over-stepping the mark and ceased for that was his way of letting you know he was not too pleased with you!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Every week he\u2019d have brought us comics \u2013 the Hotspur, Victor, Shoot etc., and girl\u2019s ones for my sisters.\u00a0 My dad worked as a labourer full-time at Power Station West, and part-time in Joe McKee\u2019s bookies.\u00a0 Money was very tight in those childhood days.\u00a0 We grew up in a two bedroom house, although in my early years we may have lacked luxuries we certainly didn\u2019t lack love and affection from our dad and mum.\u00a0 My dad never took a drink, his only luxury was the odd wee park drive cigarette but, always, his kids came first.\u00a0 We were taught to never back-cheek our elders, and always to respect law and order.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I remember we used to watch Alfred Hitchcock films on our black and white television. After one such viewing us kids made our way to bed.\u00a0 As my sister opened our bedroom door she let out an almighty scream, turned and as she took to her heels, flinging her arms in every direction, came very close to knocking us other kids sprawling down the stairs.\u00a0 Unbeknownst to us, dad had sneaked up during the film and wrapped a sheet over a brush, then positioned it to resemble a ghost -needless to say we all weren\u2019t far behind my sister.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dad always fancied having a wee whippet dog, thou his attempt at having any type of dog failed miserably when he arrived home one day with what I think was a boxer. My mum and one of my sisters took flight, petrified.\u00a0 Needless to say mum put her foot down and a few years would pass before I was eventually allowed to bring a pup home.\u00a0 I named him Skipper and as he got older, Skipper knew when dad was on his way home from work. About 10 or 15 minutes before my dad appeared Skipper would be lying at the front door, tail constantly wagging – it might have had something to do with a curly-wurly (toffee coated in chocolate), for that was a treat my dad would walk in holding behind his back for Skipper to jump up and grab, still in the wrapper.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I remember when I was 14 years old, dad got me what was known in those days as the black UVF issue coat, he called me into the kitchen and proceeded to put it on me, along with a camouflage scarf and the long style black Russian wooley hat. When I laughed he asked what was so amusing, and then told me at times in life we must take things serious.\u00a0 In so saying he taught us to respect the Catholic religion, and I can honestly say I never once heard him be sectarian in any shape or form, in fact we had Catholic neighbours who were good friends with my family, my dad actually stopped people from putting this family out of their home, and believe me, in the early \u201870\u2019s things were crazy and it became very territorial.\u00a0 In fact, when dad was arrested and on remand on the Loyalist \u2018C wing\u2019 at Crumlin Road Prison, our Catholic friend, Mrs C went with my mum and aunt to visit him, upon entering the search box the woman screw came across her rosary beads – the screw thinking some mistake had been made then sent word to my dad enquiring what was going on.\u00a0 Dad\u2019s response was simple, \u2018am I not allowed to have Catholic friends?\u00a0 let her in\u2019.\u00a0 Needless to say Mrs C continued with her visit, and continued for many more years, always as a family friend until her own passing.\u00a0 The lesson he always taught us was, \u2018there is good and bad on all sides, and our fight was against the rebels\u2019, as he always referred to them by.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Our dad 32 years on is still sorely missed. His love, humour and guidance in life has and always will be sorely missed, by his kids, and still loving and devoted wife.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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