The memorial for you on that hillside in the sunshine was beautiful, the words from your son, the words from you. I remember you well, you always smiled all the way up to your eyes when we came to exchange a video in the darkling months. You were always there. We bought many quality clothes from your shop, Ellen’s. I can see the dark now, heading from Dervaig with kids who absolutely had to have the new video they wanted, and the craic inside the shop. You must have been bored, tired, fed up with all the waiting for someone to show, but I never saw that in your welcome. You asked questions. You were interested. You engaged. I suppose I did know how many enterprises you initiated and maintained but I only was reminded of them today in the eulogy for you. You did so much, began so much, always finding a new venture and then working all the hours to lift it into flight. You did so much.

I remember when you were councillor, contacting you with issues and you telling me I could call you anytime because you cared. I believed it, believed in you. You made things happen. You were strong and influential, you had a voice in a place where, I’m guessing, ears were in short supply. It was really good to hear the eulogy today, the listing of your life, of who you meant to Stu, to Sophie, to their boys and to family. We see what we see, Duncan, in life, and there are limits in that way of looking, It was good to hear the broadscape of you.

So, with the piper leading us away from your resting place, I hope you are at rest now. We, down here never know. We just hope. There were many there for you today, me too, for the family, my boys who knew and loved your boy, who got up to all the mischief and who have memories, who remember you and Ellen way back then. As do I.

Here’s a thing my friend, and I’ve noticed this is what happens. Time is a frisky thing, it jumps fences, heads into the wild, into different lands and we lose touch because our own lives take a different road. I see it often. Our lives did take different paths, but it doesn’t change the impact you had on my life, on the lives of my boys. We won’t forget that no matter how frisky time might be.

Thankyou Duncan. You made a difference. It’s a shame i have to say this as you are laid to rest, but I want to say it anyway.