THE mother of Disappeared victim Gerry Evans, who campaigned tirelessly to have her son's body returned, has died aged 85.
Mary Evans died peacefully at her home in the Rathview area of Crossmaglen in south Armagh on Tuesday, surrounded by her family.
Her 24-year-old son Gerry was one of the missing victims of the Troubles. He was last seen hitch-hiking in Castleblayney, Co Monaghan in in March 1979.
His body was found in bogland in Co Louth, in October 2010, by the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains.
He had been kidnapped and murdered by the IRA.
Sixteen people were murdered by republicans and secretly buried during the Troubles. The remains of all but three have been recovered. The bodies of Joe Lynskey, Columba McVeigh and British soldier Robert Nairac have yet to be found.
Mrs Evans had campaigned along with the other victims' families for the return of her son's remains for over 30 years.
A devout Catholic she always said that all she wanted was to give her child a Christian burial.
In a 2006 appeal for information she said: "I can remember quite clearly now the very day Gerry disappeared; what he looked like; what he was wearing; what he said. I don't believe those involved can't remember. You would never forget something as terrible as that."
A few years later an anonymous map was posted to the home of a relative with a rough outline of an area close to the bog where his remains were later recovered.
Fr Kevin Cullen of St Patrick's Parish in Crossmaglen paid tribute to the mother-of-five last night saying: "Mrs Evans was a wonderful lady of great faith.
"She would have been very well known in this area and never lost her faith, she was kind and understanding and bore no resentment or hatred despite the hardship her family had faced."
Requiem mass for Mrs Evans will take place at 11am today at St Patrick's Church in Crossmaglen with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.
