Peace at last as John is finally laid to rest

John’s funeral made the short journey from his Altcar Park home to St. Joseph’s Church for his Requiem Mass at the weekend, almost 17 months after he vanished without a trace.

His burial allowed his family say the goodbyes they’d often despaired of ever getting the chance to make over the past year-and-a-half, said his brother Michael.

“As you can imagine it’s bittersweet but it’s come to an end and it gives us that peace. It’s sad but we’re at rest now, where before you were never at rest,” he said.

The chance discovery of John’s remains on the Lenamore Road a month ago, ended what had been a waking nightmare for his family.

“It was ongoing and open-ended and you could never see an end but at least that’s come to pass now,” he said.

Michael thanked everyone who helped with the many searches for John.

“I’d like to thank the community search people for their absolute commitment and the time and effort they put in. The people of Derry as a community, the effort that they made, I just really couldn’t thank them enough.”

He also expressed solidarity with the families of Jack Glenn and Dean Millar, who have found themselves enduring similar torments.

“I was so delighted when the Glenn family found Jack and I’m praying away for the Millar family at the moment that they can get closure,” said Michael.

“Nobody really understands just what you’re going through until it comes to an end. It’s hard when you’re looking in from the outside to imagine just what the people are suffering and what they have to endure.

“It’s only when you get a bit of closure and it’s only when you’ve been through that that you understand what they are trying to deal with,” he added.