James Gerald (Gerry) Hickey, who died suddenly on September 19th aged 74, was a leading member of the legal profession in Dublin.
He had also been a director of several companies and been involved in property development.
He was for many years the managing partner of the firm Hickey, Beauchamp, Kirwan and O'Reilly, which had evolved out of his father's practice which Gerry Hickey joined after qualifying as a solicitor.
He was born on March 16th, 1927 in Naas, Co. Kildare, where his father had practised as a solicitor before moving to Dublin.
His mother died when he was very young. Although Gerry Hickey grew up in and spent most of his life in Dublin, he remained in touch with his Co Kildare roots and loved to attend race meetings at the Curragh.
He was educated at Xavier School in Donnybrook where he was a classmate of Declan Costello, future attorney general and a High Court judge. The school has since closed.
Permission was obtained from the then Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, Dr John Charles McQuaid, for Gerry Hickey to study in Trinity College for a law degree.
But he left before completing his degree and qualified as a solicitor in 1948, having to wait several months after completing his law examination to reach the minimum age of 21. One of his classmates was George Colley, the future Fianna Fβil minister, with whom he was to form a warm friendship.
On qualifying, he joined his father's firm of Hickey and O'Reilly where he became a partner in 1950. The firm grew to become one of the most important in Dublin.
He was elected to the council of the Incorporated Law Society in 1967 and was elected president in 1979.
He also became the director of the Solicitors' Mutual Defence Fund and his investment policy helped to increase the fund's assets.
Gerry Hickey was appointed to the board of several State-owned bodies including the Industrial Development Authority and the Industrial Credit Company. He was chairman of the latter in 1979-84.
He also served on the boards of Cement Roadstone, New Ireland Assurance Company, Atlantis Investment Trust Ltd, Optrex (Ireland) Ltd, and Solus Teo.
He was noted for his involvement in several property developments around the city.
These included the site of the old Queen's Theatre in Pearse Street and the Dolphin Hotel development, which won an award for its design.
Through his friendship with George Colley, he became involved in fund-raising for Fianna Fβil in a low profile way.
When Fianna Fβil lost the 1973 election, Mr Colley joined Gerry Hickey's firm and worked there until he returned to government following the 1977 election.
Golf was one of his principal recreations. He was a member of Milltown and Portmarnock clubs and was captain of Milltown in 1961.
At one time he played off a five handicap. His golfing companions had at times to weather some colourful outbursts when he missed a vital putt on the 18th green.
He was above all noted for his good humour and entertaining company. He was fond of quoting from modern poets and read widely.
Bird watching was another of his favourite pastimes.
He was a keen racegoer and liked to attend Ascot.
He also travelled widely both for business and pleasure.
Mr Hickey wound down active involvement in his law practice in the 1970s but remained as chairman of Hickey, Beauchamp, Kirwan and O'Reilly until the late 1980s.
For a time during his retirement he was a consultant to the legal firm of Matheson Ormsby Prentice.
He is survived by his wife Dorinda; sons James, David, Maurice and Paul; daughters Greta and Dorinda Anne; and stepbrothers Henry and Garrett.
Gerry Hickey: born 1927; died, September 2001