Denise Morgan remembered as ‘lovely, bubbly, polite person’ at Louth funeral

The priest who celebrated the requiem Mass of Co Louth woman Denise Morgan has said he hopes her violent death will help people to “call out inappropriate behaviour and the cultural attitudes that underpin our domestic violence scourge”.

Morgan (39), a mother of one from Tullyallen, Drogheda, died of a gunshot wound on October 21st last at her home in Queens, New York. Her boyfriend, Joed Taveras (33), was also found dead in the property with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Her death is being treated as a homicide by police in the US.

Fr Seán Dooley told mourners in the Church of the Assumption in Tullyallen that those who loved Ms Morgan had exchanged stories about the life of a much loved daughter, sister and friend.

“We ponder how this could have happened to such a beautiful, young woman,” he said. “Hopefully her tragic death will help us as a community to develop an understanding of domestic violence.

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“It is somewhat ironic that our own new Criminal Justice Miscellaneous Provisions Act to help domestic violence came in to law on Thursday.”

Fr Dooley said Ms Morgan was “stolen” from her family and friends in sudden and “brutal way”. He said her life had centred around her daughter, Mollie.

“Denise was born to be a Mum, I am told. From the moment she realised that Mollie was on the way, and until her very last day, Mollie was the centre of her life. Even her last post [on social media] was of Mollie and herself. Everything was for Mollie,” he added.

Ms Morgan worked in The Cottage Bar and Restaurant in Forest Hills, New York. Fr Dooley said that being front of house was her “strength”.

“Her gregarious interest in people, her desire to serve led her into the hospitality and service industry,” he said. “At one stage in her life she helped manage Daly’s [in Drogheda]. Even on Christmas day she helped to offer food to the homeless.

“Denise will be remembered as a lovely, bubbly, polite person who always had time to greet another person. Her many Facebook page posts and tell of a woman oozing with a love that attracted others.”

A relative of Ms Morgan’s, Mandy, spoke on behalf of the family. She thanked all those who assisted them in bringing Denise home from the United States including the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust and the community in Tullyallen and New York.

She said Ms Morgan had touched many lives during her life and that Mollie was Denise’s reason “to smile every day, and her smile was infectious”.

“We will miss all the silly memes and the pointless phone calls that went on for hours. We lost a piece of ourselves that will never return,” she added.

“There is a sense of peace knowing you are home but there will never be peace knowing how it occurred. We will never forget you Denise and we promise to treasure and care for Mollie Wee.”

The offertory gifts at the funeral included a picture drawn by Mollie, family photographs, a top Ms Morgan “tried to steal off her sister”, a vape that “she always had with her,” a workout DVD, a red lipstick, a pair of boots and a picture of Mollie with her dog.

Ms Morgan was taken from the church for burial in the adjoining cemetery to the sound of Heaven by Bryan Adams. She is survived by her parents Deirdre and Noel, daughter Mollie and Mollie’s father, Larry, sisters Lisa and Shannon, brother John, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles extended family and friends.

The Morgan family asked that donations be made to the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust in lieu of flowers. Around 250 people previously gathered at St Teresa’s Church in Woodside in New York for a memorial for Ms Morgan.