All in the Club and the wider community learned with great sadness last Sunday morning of the death of Norrie Gentleman (nee Galvin) after a brief illness. Norrie and her family have been synonymous with the Club since its foundation almost a century ago. She was a niece of Christy Barrett, one of the founding members in 1917 and of Joe Barrett one of the Club’s and County’s greatest ever players. Her brother, Fr. Micheál was President of the Club for a staggering 66 consecutive seasons (1945-2010) until his death in August 2010.
Her other brothers, Tunney and the late Seán served the Club for many years as players and administrators. Norrie herself was an avid Club supporter, making her shop in Rock St. a focal point for anything that needed to be done to serve the Club. She supported our many fundraising initiatives, including our Bingo, which she regularly attended up to very recently and our Lotto, as a regular seller.
She will be greatly missed by her family and by everyone who knew her. She was pre-deceased by her husband, David in March 2001. Sincere sympathy is extended to her son John, daughter Catherine, brother Tunney, to the Gentleman family and to all her many relatives and friends. Members of the Austin Stacks Club will provide a guard of honour at her removal this evening at 6.15pm from Gleasures Funeral Home to Our Lady and St. Brendan’s Church. Requiem mass will take place at 11am this Wednesday, burial in Old Rath.
Norrie and her Son John proudly flying the Black N’Amber at the Stacks Supporters parade down Rock St.,
before the Co. Final 2010.
(photo by Adrienne Mc Loughlin)