Rev Neil Urquhart on the sad loss of his 'wee maw'

It gave our family time to say our ‘au revoirs’ and assure her of our deep love. Tears are never far from my eyes at the best of times and I’ve been a bubbling brook of gratitude.

Latterly, mum was very frail with poor hearing and sight, but like a ‘homing pigeon’, daily she followed her trusty routes round the block and into town.

Having taught half of Largs’s older residents, Mrs U was well known and loved a chinwag when people stopped to chat. Fortunately, when mum tumbled she was recognised quickly by a passer-by and the necessary help was got. 

Let me tell you about this smiling, proper, well organised, straightlaced, good humoured, generous, adventurous, courageous, resilient woman of faith, hope and love.

Mother to two sons, grandma to five grandchildren and Great GeeMa to five (nearly six) great grandchildren.

Born and brought up in Paisley, Brenda came to meaningful Christian faith in her teens, studied French and German at Glasgow Uni, did teacher training at Jordanhill College and taught student teachers in Nigeria as a Church of Scotland Mission Partner.

My late father proposed to her by letter (something she initially baulked at, but fortunately re-considered once she calmed down and realised that Alec would make a lovely husband).

They worked in mission together in Nigeria and gave birth to me in Lagos. Tragically, dad died when I was two, mum pregnant with my wee brother, Roddy.

Together, we moved in with Brenda’s parents in Largs, where she became head of modern languages at Largs High/Academy and taught me French in my second and fifth years (boy, did I keep a low profile in her class and make sure I worked hard and never got the belt there!)

She helped run a successful Scripture Union (SU); at times, 150 youngsters crammed into Mr Craig’s physics lab.

She took us cycling on Arran, skiing in Glenshee and exploring Belgium and France. Retiring about 35 years ago, she continued supporting SU in Largs and North Ayrshire, teaching in Bible Class, helping with ‘Churches Together’ holiday clubs, pastoring people as church elder and orchestrating Bible story puppet shows.

I could tell you so much more about Mrs U, my awesome Wee Maw, who was a profound influence on me and helped me grow up with a sunny smile, optimistic and faithful despite the guff that life can sometimes throw at us.

Latterly, despite her fragility, Brenda made church most Sundays, the Guild on Mondays and her pensioners’ lunch group. A mobile phone was beyond her, but she used an iPad for email and Facebook to a limited degree.

She was always so interested in how everyone was doing and prayed faithfully for many.

Thankfully, mum lived largely independently till her stroke. We enjoyed some quality family time with her around her 96th birthday and Christmas celebrations.

Lying helpless for two weeks in Crosshouse Hospital, she did not fight her wind-down in this world but trusted in Jesus, a mindset she had daily practised reading her well-worn Bible and trusting in the Lord with all her heart.

Some mornings she’d wake to wonder why she was still here. She was ready for Jesus to carry her into God’s nearer presence.

Henri Nouwen, travelling with a high trapeze circus act, was struck by how critical it was for the flyer not to try and catch the catcher, otherwise they would fall.

Rather the flyer had to simply stretch out their arms and hands in trust that the catcher, hanging from their swinging trapeze, would catch and bring them safely to the other side.

As I sat with my dying mother it was such a comfort to see her simply trusting Jesus to catch and carry her into a brand-new shiny dimension, with the prospect of remarkable reunions. We can’t save ourselves, but we can trust in Jesus to save us!

Thank you, God, for such a wonderful mother. Mum’s Celebration of Life service is in Largs on February 17 and 12noon in Clark Memorial’s Sanctuary. All welcome.