The late Richard Brown
A POPULAR Lisbellaw father of four, described by his mother as, one in a million’, died when his motor bike was in collision on Friday night last with a tractor on the road between Brookeborough and Fivemiletown.
The deceased, Richard Brown (44), an electrical contractor, from Fortview Park, died at the scene. He was a son of Ruby and the late Mervyn Brown and a brother of Mervyn and Kelly.
The driver of the tractor was not injured.
Monday’s funeral service, held in Lisbellaw Parish Church, was described as, one of the largest ever seen there.
There was an impressive turn-out of bikers, led by Mr Brown’s son, Dean (21). The service of thanksgiving was conducted by Canon Brian Kerr.
A neighbour told the Herald: “I don’t think Lisbellaw has ever seen a funeral like it, especially the noise, bikers and smoke. It was one of the best send-offs I have ever seen.”
The collision is being investigated by the PSNI’s Collision Investigation Unit.
It occurred near Currylongford Bridge, and not far from the scene of a previous road fatality in which 69-year old Eileen Maguire, formerly of ‘The Oaks’ restaurant lost her life last year in a four-vehicle pile-up.
In an interview Ruby Brown spoke feelingly about her son, Richard, and his devotion to her and to his children, Stacey (23), Dean (21), Hannah (16) and Jodie (12).
She described Richard as, ‘a fantastic son, one in a million’.
“He lived for his children and for me.”
She recalled how her son’s remains were escorted home by bikers ‘revving out’ on Saturday night.
“It was very sad. I was thinking, if it was someone else, he would have been a big culprit to do that.”
She her grandson, Dean and his three sisters were all devastated.
“It is tragic, and I will miss him so badly because he had been living at home with me for the last five years. Dean is in bits because he is into motor bikes like his dad.”
Mrs Brown revealed how, when Dean was leaving on his motor bike on Friday, Richard had warned him, ‘you be careful on that bike now, and no speeding’.
“Those were the last words he said to him. He lived for his children and for me too. He was just my backbone and did everything for me.
“He was a fantastic son, one in a million.”
Meanwhile, Erne East UUP council candidate, Victor Warrington, has called for a strategy to educate road users of the dangers, ‘especially at this time of year when there is an ever increasing number of agricultural vehicles on our main roads’.
He commented: “This is the second fatality in the last six months and, indeed, the third within a four-year period, all in which have happened in a few hundred yards of each other.”
A spokesman for the PSNI appealed to anyone who witnessed this latest collision or anyone who was travelling on the Belfast Road, Fivemiletown around the time of the collision to contact the Collision Investigation Unit at Steeple Police Station on the new non-emergency number 101.
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