Gerry Glanville, who passed away on the 7th February 2016 was a lifelong member of IMPACT.
It was as supplies officer with the South Eastern Health Board in Ardkeen Hospital (now Waterford University Hospital) that Gerry spent his professional life up to the time he retired in 1993.
Before IMPACT was formed in 1991 the Local Government and Public Services Union (LGPSU) represented workers mainly in the local government, health and vocational education sectors.
Gerry’s union connections go back even further. He was a member of the Irish Local Government Officials Union (ILGOU) before it became the LGPSU. Co-incidentally, in this the centenary year of the 1916 Rising, it is interesting to note the connection between the origins of the ILGOU from the Dublin Municipal Officers Association (DMOA) and Eamonn Ceannt, signatory of the Proclamation.
Gerry, as a lifelong member of this union, served on the Waterford City branch as honorary treasurer and chairman for many years.
When the LGPSU took the decision, in 1979, to form two divisions - the Local Government and Public Services division and the Health and Welfare division - Gerry had the honour of being elected the first cathaoirleach of the division at the union’s annual conference in Kilkenny that year.
He remained on the executive committee of the Health division thereafter as Waterford City delegate. Gerry’s abiding interest in trade union and industrial relations affairs stemmed from his innate sense of fairness, honesty and concern for his fellow workers. He carried the mantra of a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay with him always and abhorred any abuse or exploitation in the workplace and would have taken great heart from the improvements achieved for workers over the years by the public sector unions.
As well as his interest in trade union affairs, Gerry was a deeply spiritual and charitable man and these attributes were manifested by his lifelong work with his local church St John’s in Waterford, his trojan service to the annual Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes and his unstinting dedication to the St Vincent de Paul Society where he served in many roles both locally and regionally.
Gerry was an avid GAA fan and could often have been seen in the VIP box in Croke Park on All Ireland Final days in the company of his great friend the late Pat Fanning former President of the GAA .
Gerry is survived by his wife Eily and his sons Joe and Gerry.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dhílis.
