The death has occurred of:
Rennie BREATHWAITE
Peacefully at Parkmanor Oaks Care Home on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, surrounded by his family, Rennie, went home to be with his Lord. Formerly of Lawnmount Crescent, Lisburn, he is predeceased by his wife of 70 years, May (2023); his parents, his brother, Jim, and sister, Eileen.
Loving father of Pearl Reid (Maurice), Janet Carvill (David Irwin) and Mark Breathwaite (Lori-Ann). Adored by 10 grandchildren: Dawn, Mandy, Jason, Keith and Kiera Reid; Paul and Steven Carvill, and Michelle Donaghy; Garrett and Eva Breathwaite. Proud great-grandfather to Jude and Seth McCartney; Jake Kavanagh, Sienna and Aria Reid; Bailey and Freya Reid; Jake, Jude and Jasmine Donaghy, and Zac and Ava Carvill.
Rennie’s sweet nature and calm manner often made him seem like the calm centre in the storm of a large and noisy family. His grandchildren and great-grandchildren alike adored him, and he liked nothing better than to be surrounded by family, children especially, and it was just this way at the end.
He and Anna Mary Garrett (May) met on a bus trip to Bangor, and the love that sparked on that trip led to marriage in July 1953. They settled on Lawnmount Crescent, where they lived their entire married lives. Rennie worked at a few different jobs, but finished his working life as a furnace stoker at the Ford plant in Belfast before retiring in the early 1990s. He and May loved to holiday in Spain, and also travelled to Canada.
A service celebrating Rennie’s life will be held at Ronnie Thompson’s Funeral Church, 20 Ballinderry Rd., Lisburn, BT28 1UF, on Thursday, March 5 at 9:30 a.m. Interment after at Lisburn New Cemetery, Blaris Extension.
No flowers, please. Donations in Rennie’s memory may be made online at www.ronniethompson.co.uk or cheques payable to the Alzheimer’s Society NI, c/o Ronnie Thompson Funeral Directors (see above address).
The Reid, Carvill and Breathwaite families would like to thank the staff at Parkmanor Oaks in Dunmurry, Rennie’s home for the past four years, and May’s for several years before that. Their kindness and commitment to caring for residents allowed so much dignity, fun and support for Rennie’s family, who are grateful to so many of the staff – too many to name for their selfless attention and tender care of Rennie. He never danced so much as he did at Parkmanor Oaks.