THERE has been much sadness in Enniskillen following the death of local man Mark Hallett in the United Arab Emirates.
The 44-year-old passed away surrounded by family and friends in his adopted home of Abu Dhabi on Saturday, March 24, following a short battle with liver cancer. The son of Anthony and Maureen Hallett, brother of Angela, Gary, Shane and Aideen, husband to Neesha, and father to Kyan and Eden, Mark’s funeral took place in St Joseph’s Church, Abu Dhabi on March 29.
Mark had been diagnosed with cancer in December, and a fundraising campaign had been launched to help fly him to Germany for pioneering treatment, raising over £13,000. Mark’s brother Gary said the money raised will now go towards paying funeral costs and to cancer research, while the remainder will be donated to Mark’s young family.
A former pupil of St Michael’s PS and St Michael’s College, Gary said his brother was passionate about sport from a young age. As a teenager Mark joined the Portora rowing club, and went on to coach the ladies rowing team while at Queen’s University.
While his first job had been as a pool attendant at the Lakeland Forum, it was in the sky not the water Mark made his career. Having worked as an air-traffic controller at Shannon Airport, Mark moved to Abu Dhabi in 2004 where he eventually became an air traffic controller team leader, and where Gary said “he made an incredible life for himself.”
“It was there that he met the love of his life Neesha and they married in Bali in 2008,” he said. “They were blessed with two beautiful boys, Kyan and Eden of whom Mark was very proud. He always made sure that they were aware of their roots with many trips back to Ireland and Malaysia.”
Mark never lost his love of sport, joining Na Fianna GAA club shortly after moving to Abu Dhabi, touring the region with the club, and also playing golf.
Gary said Mark had “left an indelible mark on those he met with his easy going affable gentle nature and could only be described as true gentleman.”
“Mark made some amazing friendships from across the world and this was testament to him, as they were with him until the end,” he said.
Mark’s months mind mass will take place at St Michael’s Church, Enniskillen on Saturday, April 21 at 11am.
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