Fermanagh tribute: Late young mum Jenny celebrated as a loving soul

Jenny, late of Coolcullen Meadow, Enniskillen, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on August 1 – the day of her 32nd birthday – at the South West Acute Hospital, Enniskillen.

The late Jenny Kavanagh.

Describing his late partner as “everything” to him, Derek McCordick spoke lovingly of Jenny: “She was free and open-minded and she always tried to help people, even to the very end.

“She was away in Australia for five years so she liked travelling, she liked to explore. She was very adventurous,” he said, noting that Jenny only returned home from Australia following her diagnosis with cancer in 2020.

Jenny and Derek started dating in 2020, not long after she had returned from Australia. Although they had only been in a relationship for two years, they had known each other for a lifetime.

The late Jenny Kavanagh pictured with her partner Derek McCordick.

“Whenever she came home [from Australia], I was going through a bad time and she was there for me.

“We went to Ibiza together and then we ended up getting together,” said Derek, explaining that they enjoyed travelling together, visiting Greece, Santorini and Mexico.

This year, Jenny gave birth to their child, a baby boy who they named Maximus.

“She is the mother of my child, that’s the biggest thing,” said Derek, adding: “She was a great mother. She always loved kids – she would’ve been the one auntie that all the kids would run to.”

Talking about Jenny’s cancer journey, Derek explained that after being diagnosed in 2020, she was given the all-clear a year later.

“Then she was told she couldn’t have children, but then she had Maximus,” he added.

The late Jenny Kavanagh with her baby boy Maximus.

However, earlier this year, Jenny’s cancer returned. Derek explained: “We found out for sure [that the cancer had come back] in March, because she had to have her baby early.

“She always wanted kids, and she was told over in Australia that she couldn’t have kids due to having polycystic ovaries, because of the cancer.

“So Maximus is a bit of a miracle,” explained Derek, adding that Jenny was delighted to discover that she was pregnant, but was also scared because she had been told she wouldn’t be able to have children.

“She was worried about it the whole time but he came out and he was healthy. He’s the best. Having Maximus made her so happy,” he said.

Maximus was just over four months old when Jenny sadly passed away.

Illness

“She got to spend time with him,” said Derek, explaining that being able to be with her son helped Jenny deal with her illness. “He was there with her until the very end. He was in the room cuddling with her, and he left two minutes before she died. So I think she waited until he left,” he told this newspaper.

Prior to moving to Australia, Jenny worked in B&M – a job that she enjoyed using her marketing skills and creative eye in.

“She’s famous in B&M,” said Derek with a smile. “Her aisle design – they would’ve used that in all the B&M stores throughout the province.

“The way she merchandised [was brilliant]; she was really into marketing,” he added, explaining that when she lived in Australia, Jenny worked with healthcare products.

Known to many by her nickname, ‘Jenny Flower’, due to her love of flowers, particularly sunflowers, Derek said that she had even patented the name.

“A flower shop over in Australia had to ask her if they could use that name, so that they could call their shop ‘Jenny Flower’,” he added.

The funeral cortege of the late Jenny Kavanagh.

Arranged by Marcus Madill, Funeral Director, Jenny’s funeral took place on Thursday, August 4 at St. Michael’s Church, Enniskillen, followed by interment in Cross Cemetery.

As Jenny’s funeral cortege, which was decorated with beautiful flowers arranged to read ‘Jenny Flower’, began its final journey, huge crowds stood outside her house to pay their final respects.

“It was really good,” said Derek, talking about what this support meant to him. “I wanted everybody outside the house when she was coming out, just to show her how much she was loved.”

Meanwhile, in Sydney, Australia, a special celebration of Jenny’s life was held by the close friends she had made whilst she was living there, with many coming together to share fond memories and show their love for their late friend.

Jenny's friends in Australia paid tribute to her with a celebration of her life in Sydney.

This love for Jenny was boundless, which was evident by the number of people who paid tribute to her on social media.

Her former school, Erne Integrated College, also paid tribute to her, with staff remembering Jenny as a “spirited young lady with a winning personality” who had a great sense of humour and was “very popular with staff and peers alike”.

A much loved partner of Derek, A very special mummy of Maximus, a cherished daughter of Bernie and Patrick and a dear sister of Sabrina, Jacinta, Lorraine, Joseph, Patrick and Phillip.