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I’ll miss him.”
With that one sentence Rev Tom Bogle summed up the
thoughts of the many people who packed Maybole
Baptist Church last week for the funeral of Big Bill
Kenny, a former Maybole Citizen of the Year.. In a
eulogy filled with humour Mr Bogle captured the very
essence of Bill, recounting many anecdotes from
Bill’s life. He said, “Billy, like a lot of others
including my mum, didn’t take up his place in the
Academy. If he had, goodness knows what he’d have
become – a surgeon, a lawyer, an MP or what?
“He did become a
fundraiser for charities, the definitive Santa Claus
for generations of children, a devoted husband to
Margaret, a fraught father who cared deeply, a
doting grandpa and great grandpa. “He was a quoter
of Burns, a faithful brother – and barman – to Lodge
No. 11 and a man who had no time for fools. I’m glad
he tolerated me even though I put Killie FC and
football in the same sentence.” Telling of Bill’s
time in the Royal Army Service Corps, Mr Bogle said
he had fought Freddie Mills, who was the world light
heavyweight boxing champion from 1948 to 1950. Later
in life he made extra money for his family by
becoming a bouncer. |
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“I’ve known him for just
over 13 years, Mr Bogle continued,” and met him for the
first time when he was dressed up at Maybole Gala, he loved
to dress up. He should have been an actor, I think he’d have
made a great Hagrid in the Harry Potter films. “What he did
make was a good friend to me, to my wife, to Maybole. He
made me laugh, usually with him though at him twice on his
80th birthday when we had to go to watch Killie
as the Ayr game was off and secondly when he was smartly
dressed and walked into the Dalrymple Community Hall for a
surprise party expecting a dancing display. That shut him up
- for 3 minutes.”
He went on to tell of
Bill’s many personal kindnesses to people including those
who used the local minibus, and the fun and games at the
gala with Bill thinking these were not noticed. “But they
were,” he added, “and I was chuffed when Maybole chose him
as Citizen of the Year. It was richly deserved. “We are not
just here to give a eulogy – kind words – about Billy but to
commend him into God’s care, the God who loaned him to us
for 80 years. What does the Lord require of us?
To do what is just, to
show constant love and to live in humble fellowship. Billy
was always honest, straight and fair; he loved deeply - not
just his own; and he was truly humble. We can freely commit
him into God’s care. Bill is survived by his wife Margaret;
his children Linda, Stuart, Billy, Dawn, Scott and Lorraine;
his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He will be sorely
missed by all who knew him. |
