A woman who died earlier this week after suffering multiple bee stings led a life marked by “quiet acts of mercy and compassion”, her funeral Mass has heard.
Kathleen Devine (73), a beekeeper and former nurse from Knockmore, Co Mayo, was attacked by a colony while tending to one of her hives on Monday.
A eulogy jointly composed by her children Desmond, Brian and Helen, and her nephew Peter Doherty, said her strength and kindness were “like a lamp on a dark road”.
Reading the eulogy to those gathered at the Church of Christ the King in Knockmore, Mr Doherty said Ms Devine’s light “shone far and wide, touching the hearts of friends, neighbours, patients and strangers alike”.
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“She was above all a wife and mother to be proud of. Her husband, children and grandchildren were the joy of her life. Her love for them knew no limits,” he said.
Mr Doherty said his aunt gave herself completely, not just in her profession as a nurse but in every aspect of her life. She worked as a nurse at St Joseph’s Hospital in Ballina, Blackrocks Nursing Home in Foxford, and Mayo University Hospital in Castlebar.
“Her life was marked by quiet acts of mercy and compassion. She was a truly special person,” he said.
Chief celebrant Fr John Judge, a cousin of Ms Devine’s, said she brought the same care and love to her patients as she did to her own family.
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“For Kathleen the patient in the bed wasn’t just a patient, [this] was a human, valuable, being made in the image and likeness and love of God,” he said.
“Many a patient’s life were lit up by Kathleen. She had that most beautiful, warm smile and she lit up the lives of every human being she came in contact with.”
Fr Judge recalled that upon retiring Ms Devine embarked on a new career as a professional beekeeper. She and her husband Des Devine won many awards at beekeeping fairs and festivals across Ireland.
