THE death occurred after a short illness on Sunday evening of John Joe Doherty, Sydney, Australia and formerly from Ray, Manorcunningham.
John Joe (84) spent his early days as a butcher in Patterson’s Butcher’s Shop in Main Street, Letterkenny, before travelling with his girl-friend Rose McGarvey from Termon to Australia in 1958. The couple married there and raised a family of five.
John Joe had a great welcome for anybody from arrived from Donegal to his home in Sydney where he would fire up the barbecue. Many people stayed in his home over the years and were all made very welcome. He spent his working life with Qantas, Australia’s national airline, and often collected visitors from the airport including singer Daniel O’Donnell who would become a close personal family friend.
John Joe is survived by his wife Rose, sons Jim, John, Paul and Nick, daughter Teresa, grandchildren, his sister Phyllis Kelly, Woodlands, Letterkenny, brother Tony, Manorcunningham, sister in law Teresa McGarvey, Termon, nieces and nephews and many friends in Ireland and Australia.
John Joe enjoyed many trips home, especially to the Letterkenny Reunion, and himself and Rose would spent much of their time calling in to see people who, many years earlier, had called in to see them in Sydney during their travels.