“He loved being a daddy,” reflected Gordon Mahood’s wife Julie, as she spoke lovingly of her late husband, adding that he would call their three year old son Harry his “wee best buddy”.

Much-loved family man and respected Army Reserve Officer, Gordon Robert Mahood (45) passed away peacefully on February 5 2019 at the Northern Ireland Hospice in Belfast after losing his fight against cancer.

Over 500 people including Gordon’s family, friends, colleagues and members of the local community, came out to pay their respects at his funeral in Enniskillen. Tributes also poured in from across the globe for a Fermanagh man that many regarded as a “perfect gentleman” and a “true servant to our Nation”.

Describing her husband as a “true gentleman” who was “so kind and caring to everyone,” Julie added that he was always a “very positive person.” She said: “Throughout his whole illness he was very positive. He never looked at the dark side. He was always a ‘cup half full’ sort of person.”

Calling their three year old son Harry a “daddy’s boy,” Julie shared that Gordon loved nothing more than spending time with him.

“The proudest thing in his life was Harry. He just loved him, he loved being a daddy to him. Like Harry is a wee ‘mini-me’ of Gordon, so he just loved the fact that everyone commented on how Harry looked like him. They had a special bond and he called him his ‘wee best buddy.’ Harry really was a daddy’s boy.”

Sharing her memories of her husband, Julie said: “I just loved watching him play with Harry. He knew time was a wee bit limited with him so he enjoyed getting out at weekends and spending all that time with Harry. Teaching him to ride his bike and playing a little bit of rugby with him.”

She added: “Seeing them two together was probably what I’ll really remember.”

Talking of how she first met Gordon, Julie said: “We met in 2010 just before Christmas on a night out and actually he was going away bob-sleighing just after we met. Things really took off from there, he kept in contact when he was away bob-sleighing and we met up again after Christmas when he came back and just that was it. We were just together ever since.”

As a husband Gordon was “very loving, generous and kind,” Julie added: “He was always wanting to make sure I was okay.” Sharing some of Gordon’s interests, Julie said: “He was a big fan of Ulster rugby. That was a big passion of his, Ulster and Ireland rugby. He also did a little bit of orienteering so he quite enjoyed that and in the last couple of years he enjoyed taking Harry along. He was also big time into military history.”

A successful engineer, Gordon worked at Caterpillar Ltd from his graduation in 1995 until his passing. In 1992, he joined the Army Reserve, and served in Afghanistan, Cyprus, Iraq, Lithuania, Malaysia, South Africa, Ukraine and USA, to name a few.

Gordon was also a Freemason, and became the Worshipful Master of St. John’s Enniskillen Masonic Lodge in 2005.

Gordon’s funeral took place at St. Macartin’s Cathedral, Enniskillen on Friday, February 8 and was conducted by W T Morrison, Funeral Directors. The funeral was followed by a private burial.

Colonel Owen Lyttle, a colleague and friend of Gordon’s who spoke at his funeral, described him as a “selfless, dedicated and determined person; all flowing from a modest and self-effacing personality”.

Throughout the day of the funeral, Storm Erik buffeted Fermanagh with wind and rain, yet during the graveside service the weather let up for a short period and the sun broke through, framing the churchyard with a rainbow. “It is said by some that a rainbow is a sign of someone, who loves you, is nearby - a befitting moment for the family and friends gathered,” said Owen.

A beloved husband of Julie, darling daddy of Harry, much loved son of Wilfred and Pru, and a dearly loved brother of the late Jill, Gordon will be remembered lovingly by his family and friends.