The death has occurred of:
Gerard “Gerry” O'KANE
Gerard “Gerry” O’Kane, musician and artist, passed peacefully on March 22, 2022 in Ulster Hospital, County Down, NI. He is survived by his sister, Maire, his brothers, Eamon and Jim, his two children, Etain and Darragh, and his grandchild, Rory.
In his life, Gerry travelled across Canada, the United States, and Europe performing folk and original music, eventually settling in Kingston, ON, Canada before returning to Northern Ireland in 2002.
Throughout the 1970s, Gerry and his band, Rakish Paddy, had loyal followers from Newfoundland to British Columbia, Baffin Island to Florida. In the 1980s, Gerry embarked on a lengthy solo career, gaining a devoted following wherever he played. For 12 years, Gerry played at the Wellington (Kingston, ON) to a packed house every Friday and Saturday - an unforgettable experience for many.
Gerry returned to County Down in 2002 to pursue his other love, visual arts. He studied painting at Belfast Art College, received an MFA from Queen’s University, Canada, and made a regular practice of painting and drawing throughout his life. Gerry was known to hand-craft birthday and holiday cards for his children and other loved ones. His paintings featured familiar subjects such as the windswept trees by his seaside cottage, friends and family, as well as numerous abstract and conceptual compositions.
In November 2013, Gerry returned to Canada for the first time to play a number of sold out shows in both Toronto and Kingston. In the following years, Gerry travelled frequently to perform in Toronto, Kingston, Ottawa, and Arnprior.
A funeral ceremony will be held at the Chapel of Rest at O’Kanes Funeral Home, 116- 118 Donegal Street, Belfast, NI from 2:30pm GMT Wednesday 30th March. Those unable to attend in person are invited to witness the ceremony via the URL:
https://www.okanesfunerals.co.uk/webcam
Username: Okanes19
Password: 13722
Webcam will begin streaming from approximately 10 minutes before the service and is not recorded.
The ceremony will be followed by a private family committal at Roselawn Cemetery at 4pm.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date, to be announced, in Kingston, Ontario for his Canadian friends.
Gerry’s remains will be reposing in O’Kanes Funeral Home. Viewing by appointment only. Tel: 028 9024 3129
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Joe’s M.I.L.L., a charity close to Gerry’s heart that lends musical instruments to those in the Kingston community free of charge.
https://www.joesmill.org/donate