Billy RIP

Funeral are odd things, you don't really know how its going to go and often you don't have a lot of control over things. This one went just the right way.

Today as the funeral of Billy my cousin's husband. When we moved to this part of Scotland we were vaguely aware we had relations here though we had never met them. In the strangests of twists it turned out that they lived in the house behind ours, their daughter was the same age as our youngest and had the same birthday. The grandfather (Billy) and my cousin Mary, made us welcome from the first moment we met them.

He had a good smattering of Gaelic and if you asked him what he was up to his reply was always "buraching about" (just mucking about) it became our family catch phrase.
Billy worked for over 20 years in charge of the local community centre and when the Council forced him to retire when he hit 65, he was devasteted. He was a friendly soul who would speak to all as if they were his long lost friend and of the old school variety where manners meant everything. He was a sensitive soul and never raised his voice at anyone. When he retired the Council had to hire 3 folks to do the job he did alone!

After a while he got a wee job tyding up the local builders yard and they then took him on also to keep their petrol garage neat and tidy. Every time you went to fill up, he was there with a cheery smile and greeting and nothing was too much for him.

I never heard him speak ill of anyone in the 9 years I knew him and he loved Scottish Country dance music and Fergie MacDonald was his hero. Two years ago I got him tickets to the BBC Alba Hogmanay show and he loved it .

He wasnt a wealthy person, often struggling to make ends meet for his grown up family, he wasnt a high ranking councellor, he wasnt the local area VIP, he wasnt a professional person . Yet, the entire church was full to the gunnels with local people from ALL walks of life who came to pay their respects to a gentle person who had kindness & integrity in spadefulls.

His service was conducted in both English with a sprinkling of Gaelic and when his grand daughter went up and sang the Dark Island I saw grown men crying. His brother in law summed it up by saying "Billy hasn't got into Heaven yet.... he is still busy blethering with St Peter"

That was Billy. Fios Shiorraidh ile , we will miss you (73)