“Roy Kells loved life, he loved people, all people. Those he shared the same values with and those who saw things differently than he did. He loved his family and above all he loved Jesus, his heavenly father”.

The words on the order of service at the Fermanagh businessman’s funeral in Holy Trinity Parish Church in Lisnaskea on Tuesday.

“That was just dad,” said Ian Kells, paying tribute to his late father who died in hospital on February 9 after a short illness.

“He was a Fermanagh man, a Lisnaskea man through and through. He loved the town, he loved the county and he loved the people. He’d have driven from Belfast on an empty tank of petrol to buy it from a Fermanagh man.”

The former chairman of the family business SD Kells, Mr. Kells was well-known in the local community for his generous nature.

“His attitude to customers was he was there to help them and they were there to help him. My father would look after people, sometimes people wouldn’t simply have money and he would have given them stuff and that’s just the way he was,” said Ian.

As a father, Ian said Mr. Kells brought him and his siblings up “to respect, to love, to listen, to understand people and to do good for someone if you can”.

“He just tried to help people. He helped many a person along the way that we don’t know anything about, that people who spoke to us at the funeral said,” he shared.

Explaining that his father was in the Orange Order for many years, Ian added: “He loved it, he enjoyed it for religious and not political reasons. He was proud of it and proud of the things they achieved.”

The Officers and members of County Fermanagh Grand Orange Lodge paid tribute to the late Mr. Kells, who was a former County Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master of Ireland.

“Roy was a dedicated servant to the Orange Institution, to his Private Lodge at Fawney in Lisnaskea District, to County Fermanagh Grand Orange Lodge and to the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland. He displayed great leadership qualities and an ability to get things done. His membership of the Orange Institution was very special to him, it was real in his life and something he set his standards by,” a spokesman on behalf of County Fermanagh Grand Orange Lodge said.

Mr. Kells joined the Orange Order after he moved to Portadown at 17. After returning to live in Lisnaskea he transferred to Fawney Heroes LOL 329 and was Worshipful Master from 1972 to 1974, Chaplain for 20 years and later District Chaplain of Lisnaskea No. 4 District. In 1994, he became Deputy County Grand Master and then in 1999 County Grand Master. During his time as County Grand Master he established the County’s Annual Banner Mission and the County Grand Lodge Widows and Orphans committee, now the Widows and Welfare committee, supporting widows and orphans of deceased members throughout the year. He was also a member of Maguiresbridge Golden Star Royal Black Preceptory 1018.

The spokesman noted that, as with all the organisations that Mr. Kells was a member of, he carried out his roles with “dignity and commitment”.

“He was a generous and genuine man, a true and faithful friend to so many,” he shared.

Ian noted that along with his commitment to the Orange Order, his father had many interests ranging from bands to football to community work.

“He loved bands, he loved Fawney Pipe Band, it was a big part of his life and it broke his heart when it finished. He loved Lisnaskea Rovers Football Club, he was president and they meant an awful lot to him. He’s been involved with them for many many years,” shared Ian, continuing: “He supported Portadown Football Club, it was a big part of his heart. He was a member and president of Rotary in Enniskillen, he was president of the Chamber of Commerce in Lisnaskea and a long-time member. He was also a member of the committee of Lisnaskea Fairs and Markets. He was just involved in so much. His poor wife didn’t see him that much because he was running the country.”

Mr. Kells was married to his wife Shirley for over 60 years. “She supported, cared for and loved him throughout that time and he wouldn’t have been able to have the involvement in all his activities and organisations without her,” added Ian.

“One thing that meant more to him than his bands, his football, his Lodges and his family was his Lord Jesus Christ. That’s where his life started and that’s where his life ended and that’s where he is now,” Ian added.

There was a large attendance of people at Mr. Kells’ funeral, which was directed by Dowler’s Funeral Services, Lisnaskea.

“My father was an ordinary 5’8 and if people wished to show their respect for him, he really appreciated that. If people hadn’t come, that would equally have been okay, because that’s people’s choice. He wants people to do what they want to do, that they feel is right to do. The fact that there was such a crowd was lovely for us,” said Ian.

The funeral service took place in Holy Trinity Parish Church, Lisnaskea on Tuesday, February 11 which was followed by interment in the adjoining churchyard.

Mr. Kells is greatly missed by his wife Shirley, children David (Noeleen), Ian (Vivienne), Andrew (Diane), Catherine (Brian), his grandchildren and the wider family circle.

“We know that dad was proud of us and we were proud of him. He was proud of his people and his county and his town and that’s just the way he was,” Ian told this newspaper yesterday (Wednesday).