There hasn't been a whole lot I've been able to do to help prepare for Dad's funeral from over here. Pretty much the only things I could do were help the family with speeches and write his obituary for the Dover Express and the Edinburgh Evening News.
I really like the idea of some old school friend of Dad's reading the 'paper and suddenly remembering his old chum. "Ach, Morag, do you remember Rab McCulloch?"
They might not have seen or heard of him for twenty years, or maybe sixty, but they'd have a smile on their face as they said: "Aye, he's passed away, poor bugger, but it looks like he had a good life!"
Anyway, as the likelihood you'll be reading either newspaper next week is pretty slim, I thought I'd post it here:
McCULLOCH, ROBERT, Born 24/9/31 in Edinburgh, Scotland, died unexpectedly on 29/1/09 in Dover. Survived by his wife of 44 years, Wilhelmina (Sinoo), sons Ron and David, and their wives, Nutan and Emma. Also survived by his sister, Helen (Jenner) of Bomaderry, Australia.
Raised in Edinburgh and Singapore, Robert was evacuated to India before the Japanese occupation of 1942. He returned to Scotland and joined the merchant navy at age 16. During forty-two years at sea he traveled to every corner of the world from Rio de Janeiro to Durban, from New Orleans to New South Wales. He earned his Master’s Ticket along the way and spent many years with British shipping companies Gibson and Stephenson Clarke.
After his marriage to Wilhelmina in 1965, he moved to Rotterdam, Netherlands. The family later lived in Edinburgh and Rotterdam again, before settling in Dover in 1977.
A kind, compassionate and private man, he enjoyed life’s simple pleasures: a pint of beer, a football match, a game of Scrabble and, above all, the company of family at Christmas, birthdays and, in latter years, Indian festivals too!
He will be dearly missed by all whose life he enriched.
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