It was with much sadness that we heard last week of the passing of former band member Joe Hickey. Joe joined TSB Junior Band in 1970 and very soon migrated to the Senior Band. Joe was a man of many talents when it came to music. He first played the cornet but was equally skilled with drum sticks and the Tin whistle. Joe was a key member of local band Rapscallion who he played with for many years.
Joe was a gifted musician who always had a smile on his face and glint in his eye. He was of Irish decent and moved back to the homeland to be near to his parents in the mid nineties where he is survived by his wife Hayley and six wonderful children.
Joe had been battling the dreaded disease that is cancer since 2008 and finally lost his fight early last week. One of his dying wishes was that some of his old Band mates play music at the funeral mass. He was such a character and popular guy that without hesitation a group of current and ex TSB members hastily made arrangements to journey over to Joe’s home village, near to Limerick , to participate in his funeral mass and to honour Joe’s request.
Martin Mills, Laurence May, David Sykes and Kevin Hawkins played hymn’s before and during the service. Gail Devlin-Jones, Bob Mossop and Kevin Carr also made the trip to say a very emotional goodbye to a much loved friend of TSB and very talented musician.