Emotional tribute to Haiti victim

"The body of my darling sweetest twin was found last night. He was a better and more beautiful man than can be expressed here - it would read like a generic reaction, a simple effusion of emotion at a loss. "For better and for worse, however, it is not. For better, in that the joy of knowing him all my life is a non-repayable gift, and message after message I have received during this waiting time has conveyed others' similar experience. For worse, in that his passing leaves a hole that is impossible to fill. "I pray for miracles for those who are still going through what we went through this past week. And I pray for acceptance and relief for those who have lost their loved ones. And I pray for the same for myself. May Andrew's sweetest soul look down upon us in happiness once again. Dearest Andrew, I love you and I mourn you from my innermost soul." These are the poignant words of Gregory Grene after the news came through that the body of his twin brother Andrew had been taken from the rubble of the United Nations building in Port-au-Prince on Monday night. The people of Belturbet were shocked when the news filtered through on Tuesday that a young man who spent many long summer days in the area had been killed by the devastating earthquake. Andrew Grene had been serving in Haiti as an adviser to the head of the UN peacekeeping operation when the organisation's building in Port-au-Prince, collapsed. The 44-year-old Irish citizen was in a meeting with Hedi Annabi, the chief of the UN in Haiti, and a high-ranking delegation from China when the 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck. Mr. Annabi's body was recovered from the rubble of the building on Saturday. The late Mr. Grene is survived by his wife Jennifer, who is from County Down, and their three children Patrick (20), Alex (19), who were born in the North, and Rosamund (14), who was born in Chicago. Also born in Chicago, Mr. Grene grew up in Derrycark, Belturbet and attended the Fairgreen School, with his twin brother Gregory. Gregory said his late brother went to the University of Chicago and then to Trinity College for an M.Phil. He attended the Medill School of Journalism, where he won a national award for investigative journalism on patronage in the Illinois court system. Andrew had dual citizenship, as does his twin. Their half brother Nicholas Grene is a professor of English at Trinity College and another brother, Nicholas, is a lecturer at the same university. The family regularly return to their home in Belturbet. Andrew's late father Professor David Grene was born in Donnybrook, Dublin and was an eminent translator of Greek tragedy and history. He was a founding member of the University of Chicago's legendary Committee on Social Thought. Mr. Grene is interred in the Church of Ireland cemetery in Belturbet. Andrew's mother Ethel May Weiss is an emergency room doctor, who was born in Chicago. A spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin had earlier confirmed that the Irish Government had been in contact with the US State Department and was aiding the search for Mr. Grene. This is a sad time for the people of Belturbet as they come to terms with the loss of Mr. Grene, who was so much part of life during the hot summer days in the late 1970s and 1980s. The chairman of Belturbet Town Council Cllr. John McDonald told The Anglo-Celt that he grew up beside the Grene family farm. "Over the years we developed a wonderful friendship with the entire Grene family," he said. "They came over to Ireland for the entire summer months and worked on the farm at Derrycark. "In fact we would've played together as children in our own hayshed, with Andrew and Gregory and with my brother Peter, our neighbours the McConnells... we enjoyed many a long summer just doing simple fun things." "Andrew's father, the late Professor David Grene was a lovely man and his wife Ethel is a beautiful gentle lady," added Cllr. McDonald. The Grene farm became famous for the end of season party when all neighbours and friends were invited to the house. Cllr. McDonald said it was akin to a traditional ceili house with traditional music, fun and craic. Gregory played the accordion and Andrew was a fine singer as is his mother Ethel. Cllr. McDonald said the sad passing of Andrew was hugely traumatic for the Grene family and the fact that Gregory is his twin makes it even more poignant.