The late former SDLP leader and Foyle MP John Hume and wife Pat
In a reflective statement to mark the first anniversary today, Tuesday, August 3, of the death of the former SDLP leader, Foyle MP, MEP and architect of the Good Friday Agreement, his family said that “narrow or exclusive definitions of identity and culture were anathema to him”.
“Brexit would devastate him, but if he were alive and active he’d be thinking up creative ways to reform those bonds with Europe and reawaken a wider political consciousness,” they said.
“Dad didn’t seem to be daunted by what seemed impossible.
“He had incredible self-belief, and his confidence in his capacity to persuade others never diminished, even when he was frail, blind and limited by dementia.”
The family also spoke of how the health of the politician long associated with Derry and the civil rights campaign “was under strain for a long time”.
“While, to begin with, his poor memory caused him daily anxiety, in later years he became much more content, in no small amount due to the consistent, patient and loving care of our mother,” they said.
“Even when he had lost his sight and was living in a nursing home, every second sentence began with ‘Pat’ [his wife],” they added.
Mass is being offered this morning in St Eugene’s Cathedral in Derry for Mr Hume.
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