Tributes paid to much-loved pharmacist Paul White

HUNDREDS of people paid tribute to and attended the funeral of a much-loved and well-respected Carlow man, Paul White, who passed away peacefully after an illness last Wednesday, 9 April.

Paul was the owner of White’s Pharmacy on Tullow Street in Carlow town and was a second-generation pharmacist after his father, Michael. Paul was known all over Carlow, Graiguecullen and beyond for his kindness and complete dedication to his customers. He was also a loving family man and was the husband of Anita and father to three daughters, Ailbhe, Emily and Chloe and doting grandfather to Zach, Charlie and Jack.

After the community of Carlow learnt of his death on Wednesday, tributes quickly poured into the RIP.ie website. Generations of people remembered his kind words and the care he took of his customers.

He was known locally as the ‘cycling pharmacist’, often delivering prescriptions to his clients well after business hours.

‘Paul was gifted with compassion and kindness. His empathy and care were a constant down through the years’ said one tribute on RIP.ie, while another said ‘a true gentleman in every sense of the word. His compassion and caring nature were evident in everything that he did and will be missed by everyone who knew him’.

Hundreds of people attended his funeral in Carlow cathedral yesterday (Monday), where the chief celebrant was Fr Brian Maguire (Tullow) assisted by Fr Thomas O’Byrne (Carlow cathedral), Fr Tommy Dillon (Askea) and Deacon Liam Dunne (Carlow College).

Symbols of Paul’s life were brought to the altar including a gardening tool to show his love of his garden, a helmet to reflect his love of cycling, a book of messages congratulating him on his retirement and family portrait as a dedicated family man.

Fr Maguire said that Paul was known for his gentleness and empathy, and for the care he took of people. He continued that White’s Pharmacy donated the oils to the parish every year that were used as chrism oil and that Paul was anointed just before he died with oil that came from his own shop.

Paul’s daughter Ailbhe spoke a beautiful eulogy, saying that people called him a “gentleman” and some even referred to him as a “legend”. She said that her father served as a role model for her and her sisters as well as the staff who worked with him.

“He’d do anything for us, he never let us down,” said Ailbhe, while also remembering how much he doted on his three grandchildren. One of them, Zach, said his grandfather was “the nicest man in Carlow”.

After Mass, Paul was laid to rest in St Mary’s Cemetery.