For decades as a member of the charity Concern in Enniskillen and  Fermanagh he, with the generous support of the local community in the county, helped raise an estimated £1million.  

He started fundraising around 30 years ago for the starving of Biafra after his son Sean, who is now Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, worked with the charity Concern in Sudan.

Formerly from Loughan, Monea he worked for many years for the Refuge Insurance Company based in Enniskillen.

Eamonn Dolan who worked closely with Eamonn from the 1990s in Concern described him as ‘a determined man’.

“He was always determined to do things. He was great at raising money and would never take no for an answer. Everything was possible and he travelled the highways and byways to raise money for charity,” he said. 

Mary Morris another colleague in the Fermanagh branch of Concern remembered his gentleness.

“You could talk to him about anything and he would never say goodbye when leaving. It was always ‘God Love You’. “He made our life collecting much easier because everyone knew and respected him and they were more than willing to give to the charity,” she added.

Niall Corrigan, the local Concern chairman recalled, 

“The night before he was taken into hospital he rang round for a meeting in his house to see what we could do to help the starving in ‘The Horn of Africa’. That was just the zeal of the man – all go to help other people.”

Monsignor Peter O’Reilly said, “Parishioners are keeping in their prayers the family of the late Eamonn Hoy, who are mourning their loss. Eamonn lived his faith through his charitable work, especially remarked for his fundraising for Concern, the humanitarian agency working with the world’s poorest people to transform their lives. He leaves a memory of which his family and friends and people of Enniskillen can be proud.” 

He is survived by his wife Patricia, sons Sean, Brendan, Michael and Eamonn, daughters in law Susan, Fionnuala and Grainne and grandchildren  Katie, Tom,  Aislinn, Christy,  Aoibhinn, Darcy and Leo. 

He also leaves sister Bridie Hogan, Australia, Teresa Mawhinney, Lurgan, Maisie Palmer, Enniskillen. He was pre-deceased by his sister Gertie Palmer, Enniskillen.

Following Requiem Mass at St Micheal’s Church, Enniskillen, on Monday morning the burial took place to the Immaculate Conception Church cemetery in Monea.