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Josephine Pender reciting a prayer on the 21s anniversary of her daughter's disappearance RTÉ News

Mother of missing woman Fiona Pender dies following long battle with illness

Josephine Pender made an emotional plea for information about her missing daughter just three weeks ago.

JOSEPHINE PENDER, THE mother who long campaigned for information about her missing daughter Fiona, has died following a long illness.

Fiona Pender was 25 years old when she left her apartment in Tullamore, Co Offaly on 23 August 1996 and was never seen again. She was seven months pregnant at the time.

Josephine made numerous appeals for information in relation to her daughter’s disappearance over the years. Her activism led to the creation of a walk along the Grand Canal in Tullamore called Fiona’s Way, but Fiona was never found.

Fiona’s disappearance wasn’t the only tragedy to affect the family as Josephine’s son, Mark, was killed in a motorcycle crash in 1995, while her husband, Sean, died by suicide in 2000.

She is survived by her son John, and her grandchildren. No details of her funeral have been announced as of yet.

Speaking to RTÉ on the 21st anniversary of Fiona’s disappearance, Josephine Pender acknowledged that her daughter may be dead, but said that she just wants to give her the dignity of a proper burial.

download pender Fiona Pender was seven months pregnant when she went missing. The Pender family The Pender family

“I think of her baby a lot, who would have been 21,” she said. “This baby would have been new life in the family. It’s terrible that someone could harm her.”

Just three weeks before she died, Josephine Pender said that she just wanted a chance to bury her daughter.

I don’t know whether I’m going to last. If anyone knows anything… I would go so far as to beg them to come forward. Hopefully it will lead to finding her. I’m not into punishment, I just want Fiona given back a bit of dignity… to lay her to rest with her daddy and her brother.

Read: ‘I would go so far as to beg them’: Mother of missing Fiona Pender makes heartfelt appeal

Read: ‘Some days I just cry and cry’: Fiona Pender’s mother on her daughter’s disappearance

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    Mute Paddy O'Brien
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    Sep 13th 2017, 5:41 PM

    Jaysus my heart breaks for that family

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    Mute The_Prince_of_Fire
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    Sep 13th 2017, 6:22 PM

    @Paddy O’Brien: Indeed, I don’t think anyone would wish that on their worst enemy. Someone knows something, do the decent thing, even leave some information somewhere anonymously, just give her resting place back.

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    Mute Jane
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    Sep 13th 2017, 5:42 PM

    Shame on those who know and won’t talk up.

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    Mute Asha
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    Sep 13th 2017, 6:35 PM

    That poor lady, continuously denied the right to give her daughter and grandchild a dignified and decent burial. I hope Josephine is at peace now with her husband, her son, her daughter and grandchild. And let’s pause to think about her only remaining son John who’s left behind and will always wonder what happened to his sister. It’s the most poignant story I’ve ever heard and brings a tear to my eye every time I heard her on the radio. Such a beautiful lady. RIP Mrs Pender

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    Mute Patabake Kennedy
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    Sep 13th 2017, 5:52 PM

    Hopefully with her daughter at last.

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    Mute Dave Hogan
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    Sep 13th 2017, 5:45 PM

    A heartbreaking tragedy.

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    Mute Alex Carroll
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    Sep 13th 2017, 5:43 PM

    R.I.P.

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    Mute Emmet Dillane
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    Sep 13th 2017, 5:42 PM

    Who knows the depths of this woman’s pain?
    RIP.

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    Mute Deirdre D'Arcy Murphy
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    Sep 13th 2017, 6:00 PM

    O for christs sake , will the culprit please come forward . You’ve already destroyed this whole family.
    Poor lady brought me to tears every time I heard her plead for her daughter. Disgraceful that she died without knowing or being able to bury her beloved daughter. Give yourself up whoever you are.

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    Mute Trevor Hayden
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    Sep 13th 2017, 5:45 PM

    Lord rest. Only a shame she never got answers.

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    Mute Louise
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    Sep 13th 2017, 6:08 PM

    People know what happened to Fiona and where she is..those people are the worst kind of human. They assisted in multiple
    stolen lives-Fiona’s, her unborn child, her mother and everyone else who loved and cared for Fiona. They will have no luck for it…

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    Mute Frederic Slimane
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    Sep 13th 2017, 6:12 PM

    the poor lady died broken hearted not knowing what really happened to her daughter,it is heartbreaking may she rest in peace now!!

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    Mute Daithí Uí Ciarmhaic
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    Sep 13th 2017, 6:26 PM

    Very sad

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    Mute Patrick Collins
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    Sep 13th 2017, 6:08 PM

    May whoever knows anything rot in hell for all the pain this woman endured. She was an inspiration to all in her determination and spirit and may her gentle and kind soul rest in peace

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    Mute Gemma Keogh
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    Sep 13th 2017, 6:29 PM

    Reunited with her daughter and grandchild at last, RIP xx

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    Mute Nasir Saeed
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    Sep 13th 2017, 6:59 PM

    very sad RIP

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    Mute Jun Stone
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    Sep 13th 2017, 7:54 PM

    I understand that everyone knows who the culprit is, me too, but how heartbreaking this must be for the only remaining family member, what a cross to bear.

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    Mute Daniel Dunne
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    Sep 13th 2017, 7:22 PM

    Very sad news. Such a great shame that she never got any answers before her own untimely death. May she and all her family rest in peace.

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    Mute evelyn mc carthy
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    Sep 13th 2017, 8:13 PM

    They are together again now..

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    Mute John Conroy
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    Sep 13th 2017, 9:53 PM

    My heart is truly heartbroken for Josephine. An absolute inspirational woman in her determination for justice for her daughter. Nobody will ever know the pain she bared. Heartbroken that she never got the answers she so valiantly searched for. Someone knows something and I hope they can’t live with the guilt with what they have done to the family. I hope she rests in peace.

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    Mute Mary Lyons
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    Sep 13th 2017, 6:58 PM

    Even the evil person who took Fiona won’t come forward there is surely family who do. Whoever you all are you are responsible definitely for 2,deaths and now the early death of this lovely woman!
    Whoever you are are you are evil beyond evil and I hope you never get a good nights sleep!

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    Mute John Travers
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    Sep 13th 2017, 7:47 PM

    Nobody deserved the heartbreak you had Josephine and nobody will understand how much you’ve suffered.

    Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

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    Mute Susan Ni Gearailt
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    Sep 13th 2017, 7:58 PM

    So sad, the life that poor woman had, truly heartbreaking.

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    Mute Gary Heslin
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    Sep 13th 2017, 8:20 PM

    Poor heartbroken woman..may she finally be at peace..

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    Mute Tadhg O'shaughnessy
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    Sep 13th 2017, 5:48 PM

    I hope the person that took her dies from cancer and then rots in hell.

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    Mute Tadhg O'shaughnessy
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    Sep 13th 2017, 5:46 PM

    T

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    Mute James Beattie
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    Sep 13th 2017, 6:05 PM

    My God what a tragedy for this poor poor lady. First her daughter and unborn grandchild, then her husband, then her son and she suffered through all this and in the latter stages suffer through this with a terminal illness. The poor lady, what suffering she had to go through. That she may be reunited with her family today. RIP

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