Nationalist and unionist politicians, his family and his many friends gathered in the great hall of Belfast City Hall yesterday for a celebration in word and song of the life of Gerry Fitt, who died last August at the age of 79.
His life as a former British merchant navy sailor who sailed on the dangerous second World War convoys to Russia, as a politician who made his way from Belfast City Hall to the old Stormont parliament to the House of Commons and finally to the House of Lords, was celebrated by 300 people who attended the special service.
His dedication to his wife Anne, who died in 1996, to his wider family, and to his five daughters Eileen, Patsy, Betty and Geraldine and his eldest daughter Joan, who died unexpectedly two months after his death, was also remembered in Belfast City Hall yesterday.
If there were animosities in later life between Gerry Fitt and some of his erstwhile SDLP colleagues and Ulster Unionist adversaries they appeared to have been forgotten yesterday.
Former and current SDLP leaders John Hume and Mark Durkan were among the many politicians who turned up at City Hall to pay tribute to the first SDLP leader, Lord Fitt, while among the Ulster Unionist politicians present were Lord Kilclooney (formerly MP John Taylor), Lord (Ken) Maginnis and Lady (Sylvia) Hermon.
DUP lord mayor of Belfast Wallace Brown also attended. No Sinn Féin or other DUP politicians appeared to be present, indicating that some old battles have yet to be forgotten or forgiven.
Warm tributes were also paid by his respective journalist and writer friends, Chris Ryder and Sam McAughtry.
And if there was any lingering sadness on the day it was dispelled by a concluding ballad sung by writer and former Irish Times journalist Eugene McEldowney. He sang the song he wrote and recorded after Fitt, for whom he campaigned, was first elected to the House of Commons in 1966, Voting for Fittsie (Down Sandy Row Way).
