Jennifer Smith Funeral Eulogy - Joe O'Brien

JENNIFER SMITH RIP

EULOGY FUNERAL MASS DROGHEDA

By Colleague Joe O'Brien

 

We are all in a state of sadness and disbelief  this morning as we say goodbye to Jennifer. We knew she was seriously ill, but we hoped that somehow her grit and tenacity would help her pull through – at least for a good while longer.

She was part of our lives for so long, it is difficult to think she’s gone, hard to believe that we will never hear her uproarious laugher again. A former colleague said on Saturday after hearing of her passing that Jennifer was “the heart and engine of the RTE newsroom.” She really was.

We all know that Jennifer had a big heart, as well as a big laugh, and that she was forever putting order and shape on the daily chaos and mayhem that is part of Newsroom life.

Jennifer started her RTÉ career in the typing pool where she made lifelong friends. From there she was deployed to the Newsroom where she worked alongside the star newsreader of the day, David Timlin. It was he who gave her her initial enthusiasm for news.

I first met Jennifer nearly forty years ago when she was a secretary on the Radio Desk. Under the guidance of some great sub-editors, she had developed her nose for news and was meticulous about grammar, punctuation and detail.

One day, chief sub-editor Jim Flanagan pulled me aside and told me – “You see Jennifer Smith there, she is the most intelligent person in the entire newsroom.” I was glad Jim had marked my card, because over the decades I was to witness just how clever and impressive Jennifer was.

Back in the late 1970’s a job in RTÉ was a prized occupation. Television was still new, it was fun and we all had a bit of a swagger. There was a marvellous social side to working in Montrose and we practically had shares in all the bars in the locality.

There was lots of sport as well and Jennifer was an able footballer back then. She played with a Newsroom 7-a-side soccer team which won a famous victory that was celebrated in style afterwards in Portmarnock. Of course, she remained an active supporter of the Newtown Blues GFC here in Drogheda.

With the passage of a few years, many of us became parents: and the long recession of the 80’s & early 90’s put serious curbs on our active social lives.

From the moment he was born, David was the apple of Jennifer’s eye. She was absolutely proud and devoted to him. Over the years we all got to know David. He was a frequent visitor to the Newsroom from his earliest days. He eventually got a part time job with us and we watched him grow into the fine man he is today.

Jennifer was ambitious - like most people in the Newsroom. Along with her parenting duties she accepted promotion as Newsroom Administrator – a most demanding and stressful position.

But she loved the job. She was a hard worker. She was quick to think on her feet, and she kept the rest of us on our toes. She was discreet with confidential information. She was a wizard at allocating camera crews to stories, and taking crucial decisions at breakneck speed. She was also adept at forward planning – especially in organising major events such as elections, budgets, regional coverage, sports, the ploughing championships, and her favourite  - the St. Patrick’s Day parades.

Many of us have memories of her during coverage of general elections, when she was snowed under with literally hundreds of accreditation forms. She was a formidable administrator. And through it all, a burst of laughter from Jennifer would bring the newsroom to a momentary halt.

On a more personal level, we are indebted to Jennifer for helping to organise all the staff events down the years – the events that bond and unite a workforce  - the Christmas parties, the retirement functions, the draws on the Grand National and the tickets to Funderland.

Now, no one could operate with the efficiency Jennifer displayed without some sustenance – with Jennifer it was the cigarettes. When there was a cessation of chaos in the Newsroom, Jennifer would quietly slip downstairs every few hours for a passionate pull on a cigarette.

Essentially, Jennifer was a very soft person. She had marvellous personal qualities. She was considerate, kind, thoughtful, ever helpful and fair. She remained extremely popular among her colleagues.

Jennifer was a very straight individual. She wasn’t afraid of anyone. If something was on her mind she said it.

She understood News and the Newsroom. I think she had a great understanding of cameramen, satellite operators and journalists as well. She knew all the ducking and diving that goes with our job on the road.

Despite her very strong presence in the Newsroom, many of us believe she had the ability to work at a far higher level.

Jennifer made great friends in the Newsroom and throughout RTÉ. She showed great loyalty to them. She brought her organisational skills to help her dear friend Anne Doyle get elected to the RTÉ Authority. She also put in hours of hard work to get me elected to the Authority a few years later. Since then all the worker directors on the RTE Board have come from the Newsroom.

As I said, Jennifer was both highly intelligent and industrious. We were all thrilled when she graduated with an Honours B.A. from University College Dublin a few years ago. She was a prize-winning student of Philosophy. She completed her studies in double-quick time. As a parttime student, it only took her the same length of time as full time students. Her Degree was a marvellous achievement at that stage of her career – but we knew all along how bright she was!

Jennifer loved her house and garden in Swords. But she also had great devotion to her parents and family in Drogheda, and enjoyed her visits back to the town. She never forgot her roots here in County Louth and she never lost her Drogheda accent.

Jennifer, as we know, was always up for a laugh. It was with great relish that herself and Anne Courtney got involved with the successful Charlie Chaplin Comedy Film Festival in Waterville, County Kerry over the past five years.

But nothing gave Jennifer more pride than seeing her son David being commissioned as an Air Corps officer earlier this year. She was greatly reassured when I reminded her of how the brotherhood and sisterhood of the officer corps look out for each other, how they remain friends for life, and how they have networks to find employment for one another when their military careers are finished.  She was so happy David has such a bright future ahead of him.

Jennifer embodied the traditions of the Newsroom. She saw styles and personalities come and go … but she remained a constant over the decades. We all wish that her short retirement had been easier for her.

When I called to visit her a few weeks ago, she was desperately keen to get home to Swords. She was so pleased with the support she had got from her family and friends. And, as she was about to sneak down in her wheelchair to the smoking shed in St. Vincent’s Hospital, she said we must organise a party before Christmas again this year.

Sadly, that is not going to happen.

But as we say goodbye to Jennifer today, we can be so glad that we shared the excitement of so many dramatic days in RTÉ. We are glad that she was such a wonderful mother, sister and friend. We can be happy that she genuinely achieved so much in her life.

We carry our memories with us, and I will always remember Jenny in the bustle of the busy newsroom, taking control, and putting her imprint on the breaking daily news.

That’s why I think the words of John Henry Newman are particularly apt for Jennifer. For her -

 "The evening has come, the busy world is hushed, the fever of life is over, and the work is done "

May Jennifer rest in peace. 

Go ndeana Dia trocaire ar a hanam.

( Our thanks to Joe for that wonderful Eulogy )  CB