Wife of helicopter pilot who died in horror Westmeath crash tells funeral: 'He fulfilled his dreams'
Entrepreneur Niall Crosby, 46, died alongside Antonin Kabelka, 48, when the helicopter they were travelling in crashed at a rural farm
The heartbroken wife of the CEO of a software company who was killed in a horror helicopter crash told mourners Niall Crosby was “my best friend, my love and the best father to Thomas and Robin.”
Entrepreneur Niall, 46, from Straffan, Co Kildare who had been living in Glenageary, Dublin, died alongside Antonin Kabelka, 48, in the horror crash when the helicopter they were travelling in crashed at a rural farm near Killucan, Westmeath last Tuesday, July 30.
At Niall’s funeral Mass in the National Maritime Museum on Tuesday morning, his heartbroken wife Jillian paid an emotional tribute to her husband and the father of their two boys saying “Family comes first and he always wanted a family of his own.”
READ MORE: 'Sombre' mood in Westmeath as investigators return to scene where two men died in helicopter tragedy
Jillian said Niall, who was the CEO and founder of software company AG Grid, was “completely besotted with Thomas and Robin and there was nothing he wouldn’t do for them.”
“Family to Niall wasn’t just blood relations. Niall’s friends were family to him and as time went on Niall gathered more friends. As well as having the vision and courage to strive and to achieve his dreams, above all Niall had a gentle soul and the biggest of hearts." She spoke of his ambitious plans to develop a successful software company and said that Niall fulfilled his dreams.
“One of these was to have a successful business of his own and as time went on he fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming a helicopter pilot,” said Jillian.
Jillian said she hopes in the hours and days to come “all of us will take comfort that Niall fulfilled his dreams and we can share our memories of Niall and cry and laugh together.”
Chief mourners at the spiritual funeral service included Niall’s devoted wife Jillian, their sons Thomas and Robin, parents Frank and Therese, brothers Brian, Eamon and Kevin, Jillian’s parents Jack and Jean, brother-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, extended family, and wide circle of friends, work colleagues, clients and professional peers from around the world.
Niall’s brother Brian also paid tribute to him and shared some of their memories growing up. He said Niall “was a quiet, gentle and laid-back child who took everything in his stride, and how when it came to school and college he never seemed to study at all but could absorb a lot of information in one reading, and always excelled in exams.”
He spoke of how they got their first computer, a Commodore 64, in 1983 when Niall was six-years-old, and how he played with it for a few days before sneaking it into the bedroom with a screwdriver and methodically opening it up to see how it worked. “He had that curiosity to see how things worked,” Brian explained.
He said he has fond memories of family holidays in Lough Key Forest Park, and later travelling around Europe with a caravan in tow. “He loved to travel. He loved to try new things, and he loved to take risks. He was always up for everything, all the time, he never sat down.
“He also loved his toys and gadgets and technology, and kitted out his first apartment that he bought in London with his train set. His first car was a nine-year-old Toyota Celica, known as the Batmobile, later that car proved useful with the top down to pick up the sofa he and Jillian had bought online. It wasn’t quite what Niall had in mind for the car.
Brian said Niall “was also a bit of a showman, and they’ve been remembering fondly a video of him that a friend shared of Niall dancing and DJ-ing behind a keyboard to YMCA, and others sent by colleagues of Niall dancing on nights out like he didn’t have a care in the world.”
Some of the gifts brought to the altar by his sons, nephews and nieces to represent Niall’s life included a model of an Aston Martin to represent Niall’s love of cars; a globe represents his love of travel, all the places he explored across the world and his friends and his remarkable ability to achieve his dreams; chocolate represents his love of good food and his sweet tooth as well as the pancakes he always made on Saturday mornings; a heart represents his enormous kindness and limitless generosity of kindness; a laptop represents his achievements in software developments; a one and a zero represent his brilliant programming mind; a gaming console represents his love of gadgets of all kind.
A top hat and wand represented his love of magic and his ability to make magic happen. Celebrant Dr Scott Golden said: “And finally, we remember that his sons, and all his beloved nephews and nieces together represent without doubt the most important thing of all to Niall is family.”
Songs were performed by Paul Noonan of rock band BellX1 which Niall’s brother Brian was a founding member of. Niall’s other brother Eamon gave a rendition of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah while Brian performed on keyboard when Paul Noonan sang ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Following the funeral service, Niall was laid to rest in Kilternan Cemetery Park, South Dublin.
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