The family of the late Oliver Scallon has paid tribute to a great husband, father, father-in-law and grandfather who continually offered support and encouragement.

Mr. Scallon passed away peacefully at the age of 82 on March 12 at his home in Irvinestown surrounded by his loving family.

Mrs. Delma Scallon, Mr. Scallon’s wife of 59 years described him as a “great man” and a “great husband”.

“Two strong people, the two of us were. When he was low I was strong, when I was low he was strong. We balanced off very well. We weren’t going round holding hands all the time, we were a very normal couple. We had a lovely marriage, a long marriage and a happy marriage,” Mrs. Scallon shared.

Together they had five children and lived the majority of their life in Mr. Scallon’s home place of Irvinestown.

Supportive, inspiring and encouraging were words Mr. Scallon’s children used to describe their late father.

“He was always really encouraging,” said Mr. Scallon’s daughter Helen O’Sullivan. “Anything we were doing he was there to support us. Helping us get into our first careers and helping us get our first car and first property. He would have always been pushing us on.”

Paula O’Riordan echoed her sister’s sentiments: “He was a really good listener and he was my go-to for advice on anything to do with work.”

She added: “He was very much an optimistic person as well. For me he was just so positive, always a glass half full.”

Describing his father as very stoic, fair and modest, Mr. Scallon’s son Patrick Scallon added: “He was a man of style, he had his suits made for him and he was exacting in what he would wear. His personality with that was humble. He enjoyed a good sense of fun and he was very loyal.”

Murray Scallon, Mr. Scallon’s son called his father a “very stimulating man”.

“He turned his hand at many businesses in his lifetime and inspired us as well as a family to take our own roads in life and explore what wouldn’t have necessarily been the more predictable roads to take.”

Mr. Scallon began his working life as a farmer, which his family described as his “first love”.

“He grew up in a very large family and daddy was very much in the farming end of the family. That was his real passion, his first love but then subsequently when the family business got sold off he became a very successful builder,” said Helen, noting that her father started his building career in the late 1980s. “He built a lot of houses in Belfast, Dublin, Omagh and Irvinestown so he was a very well-established builder. He retired a couple of years ago but he always had an active interest, he loved coming round to the office and still having his desk, whether it was just to read the paper or have a chat,” she added.

“He was a very inspiring man in the fact that he changed his own career from farming to building, and his sporting achievements,” shared Murray.

A sportsman, Mr. Scallon was particularly passionate about greyhound coursing. Mrs. Scallon said: “He loved open coursing and he was a member of Bord na gCon, the racing board.”

“He won the Irish cup twice in a row with the same dog,” added Patrick.

Mr. Scallon also had a keen interest in politics and pioneered for peace. “He became involved in politics. He felt that there was a lot of business people to reach across and go for peace at that time. He was involved with John Hulme SDLP and was his election agent for the European elections,” shared Patrick.

He continued: “Through the farming he was involved with everyone in the community. Daddy didn’t have a sectarian bone in his body and he was given the Queen’s Silver Jubilee medal for his contribution to farming in the North of Ireland.”

“Oliver Óg, his son who was killed in a car accident was the first person from St. Michael’s to row at Portora and daddy saw that as a very positive thing. That was after the Enniskillen bombing,” Patrick added.

A grandfather to five grandchildren, Helen commented that her father was “always great with them”.

“He was very good for giving little tit-bits of advice, trying to keep them on the right path.”

Paula added: “He was very inclusive and he always brought my son away with him for the coursing. My son is called Oliver after him and they had that special bond. He was a really great grandad and he spoiled his grandchildren to bits.”

A eulogy written for Mr. Scallon, printed in the order of service for his funeral Mass the family said: “We have benefited from and been guided by your love, your pride in us, your compassion, your patience, your chiding, your faith, your love of your siblings, your talent and investment in your passions and duties be they coursing or politics. We know that just because you have left us physically, nothing will stop you from keeping us as a goal. We live your greatness and your grandchildren will carry that torch on even further than anyone in Drumhoney could ever even have imagined. Oliver, daddy, know that the family you founded will be one of peace and understanding.”

Beloved husband of Delma and cherished father of Helen, Paula, Murray, Patrick, and the late Oliver Óg, Mr. Scallon is sadly missed by his whole family and the wider family circle.

“He was a great man. I loved him and he was a good father. He was a man of few words but what he did say you knew was true,” said Mrs. Scallon.