HE lived for his children and a week after his unexpected death at the age of only 33, treasured photographs of Kevin Fitzpatrick adorn the bedrooms of little Charlie (six) and Hollie (13) in their Newtownbutler home.

One of the photo frames has the words ‘I love Dad’ printed on it, a touching sentiment for a father who “devoted his life” to his children and partner Danielle Groh.

Kevin’s death has left a dark cloud hanging over the close knit communities of Fermanagh and Luton, England, where he was born.

“We knew he was loved, but didn’t realise just how much until now,” Ms. Groh told The Impartial Reporter. “We were together for 18 years, since I was 14 years old. We grew up together. I look at Hollie now, she’s 13 and looking at her running around, that was me and Kevin. I met him when he was cruising about on his little BMX,” she said, fighting back tears.

“I don’t know what the future is going to hold for my kids, they were obsessed with him, they used to hang off him. One would be on his lap, one would be on the other. I don’t know how they are going to deal with him not being around any more. They have been very good so far, but I am waiting for the thunder to come further down the road.

“Half of me wishes this was me because they would have coped with it so much easier. If it had been me there the kids would have handled the death better. I wish it had been me anyway, but I wish it had been me for them. He was a mother and a father,” she said.

Ms. Groh described her partner as a generous man “who went to the ends of the earth” for his family, friends and neighbours.

“Kevin would have done anything for anybody, no matter who called to the house. And he did everything for me. I was going to work one morning and I said to him that the tiles in the kitchen were awful dirty, any chance you could get a bit of bleach to them, just clean them up a little. I came home and he was re-grouting the tiles. I just asked him to clean them. They aren’t many men who did what he did, but that’s the type of person he was,” she said.

When Mr. Fitzpatrick wasn’t helping his children with their homework or working around the house at Railway Court, he was a popular member of staff at the Horseshoe Bar and Saddlers Restaurant.

And as Marshall and Norman Coalter, the owners of the Enniskillen venue, helped to carry his coffin at his funeral Mass at St. Mary’s Church his brother Darren wore the red tie he wore at the restaurant with pride. It was a poignant moment in tribute to a man who “loved his job”.

“Kevin was a hard worker who enjoyed working and worked for his family. He loved his children, he loved his family. He was a gentleman and was extraordinarily good to his kids and everybody he came into contact with wherever he went,” his father Gerry told The Impartial Reporter.

“Family was as important to him as anybody would possibly think. He was a family man through and through and whenever you seen him you would have seen the two kids. No matter where he went he took the two kids. He taught them many things, like to have respect for others,” he said.

“And Charlie learned to flick his hair up – same as Dad,” added his mother Bernadette with a smile.

“I would have picked Charlie up from school and he would have asked me: ‘Where’s my Dad?’. They were mad about him. Being a father meant a lot to Kevin. He lived for his kids. Danielle couldn’t have had a better partner and the kids couldn’t have had a better father. They have lost an important part of their life,” he said.

Kevin’s mother talked about the pain her other son, Darren, is now facing following the death of his younger brother.

“Kevin and Darren were very close. When they were kids Kevin wouldn’t have gone out of the house unless Darren went with him, and Darren wouldn’t have gone out of the house unless Kevin went with him. They were inseparable,” she said, describing how Darren moved everybody to tears when he wore Kevin’s work tie at his funeral, including staff at the Horseshoe who “adored him”.

“We can’t thank Marshall and Norman Coalter enough. Saddlers supplied everything at no charge. They brought food to the house the whole time, they read at the funeral, they helped to carry the coffin. They did everything for us. “They loved Kevin and even went to Scotland to buy him a van. When Kevin died and they were here the van was in being signed. It was for Kevin and he was very excited about it. They wanted Kevin to be a big part of the place. We don’t know how to thank them for all they did,” he said.

As the family come to terms with their loss, they say they are grateful for the help and support of so many of their relatives, friends, neighbours and all at the Horseshoe. They are also thankful to the hundreds of mourners who turned out to pay their respects at Mr. Fitzpatrick’s funeral, a testament to a man who had only spent seven years living in Fermanagh.

“There were over 500 people at Kevin’s funeral and he had only been living in Fermanagh for over seven years,” said his father.

A testament to a man who meant a huge amount to so many people, not least his beloved family, friends and colleagues.