'He will be sorely missed' - Tributes paid to much-loved Banbury man

Tom Mannion passed away peacefully, aged 91, at the Andrew Cohen Nursing Home in Birmingham after fighting a battle with Alzheimer's.

He was known around Banbury for his involvement in fundraising with the Saint John and Saint Joseph Catholic parishes and for his almost 40 years of service at General Foods.

Tom was born in Roscommon, Ireland, in 1933 and later emigrated to Birmingham age 20, where he later met his future wife Lucy while working on the buses.

Despite living in Banbury for over 40 years, he maintained strong ties to his native Ireland and played a big role in promoting Irish showband concerts in the town.

Tom and Lucy had two daughters, Geraldine and Michele, who spent last year fundraising for Alzheimer's Research UK to celebrate their father’s life.

Michele said: “He'll be sorely missed. He would think nothing of driving 50 plus friends to other parts of the Midlands for lovely dinner dances. He never smoked or drank but loved live music and brought Irish Showbands to Banbury."

Tom’s funeral mass will take place at St John's Church on Monday, March 25 at 11am and the burial will take place at Hardwick Hill Cemetery.

Michele has raised over £4,000 for Alzeimer's Research UK through a number of fundraising events, including running a half marathon, a quiz at AKA and a disco at the Coach and Horses.

She is also planning more fundraising events to take place this year as a way of giving back to the charity that took good care of her father.

For more information about future fundraising events or to donate to Michele’s online page, visit here.