Time to say goodbye
A fine tribute to a man of honour and integrity.
On Tuesday, 20th February, we said our final farewell to one of our own.
The crematorium at Roucan Loch was the beautiful and fitting venue for the funeral of Sam Johnston, who with his wife Tina has formed an integral part of our group from the beginning.
Those paying their respects witnessed a send-off that exuded both dignity and class throughout.
The celebrant for the occasion orated Tina’s eulogy to her dearly missed husband with style. We learned of Sam’s varied work life, including distinguished careers in the Royal Air Force, the police service in Glasgow back in the days when your typical ‘bobby on the beat’ was still respectable and approachable, and rounded off at Ports & Harbours until retirement – all of which had begun rather incongruously with a job in a knitwear factory!
Tina’s son Darren gave his tribute with such panache that a career in after dinner speaking is surely his for the taking, should the notion ever take him. Darren’s tales of his exploits with Sam were delivered with a palpable, heartfelt fondness, and evoked laughter and tears simultaneously and in equal measure.
Then, in a surprise to almost everyone at Roucan Loch, Tina had arranged for soprano Claudia Wood to sing the classic Italian composition ‘Time to Say Goodbye’ – a touch of class that was a befitting and emotional punctuation to an inspirational farewell.
Sam’s quiet and understated nature belied a quiet and understated stoicism; he was the anchor that steadied Tina’s ship on stormy seas. That stoicism remained intact right until the very end, despite the severity of his illness; the stoicism with which Sam handled those difficult final days and moments not only served as a bastion of strength for the loved ones by his side until he passed, but was the fundamental measure of the man himself.
The affection for this gentle man was tangible and manifest, and however great or small any individual’s contribution may be, from family and friends both near and far, we trust that the collective network of love and respect from the hearts and souls in attendance at Roucan Loch and beyond, will be the raft that keeps Tina afloat as she is cast adrift in her grief.
Tina, please know that every one of us is available whenever you may need us, at any time, for however long.
Finally, it is with great pride and privilege that we announce the first ever posthumous award on the Declaration of Dumfries Wall of Honour in loving memory of the late Sam Johnston, and to commemorate the man who was loved by so many. We humbly ask Tina to accept this sentiment on Sam’s behalf.
With heartache and sadness we must now move forward with our lives, accepting that Sam will no longer be with us. He will be missed by all who knew him and whose lives he touched; but to be the man that Sam was, to live such a life full of dignity, dedication and respect, and for such a life to reach its finale with his devoted wife Tina, steadfast by his side – and then for that life to be rounded off with a tribute such as that witnessed at Roucan Loch…?
Could Sam possibly have scripted it better than that?
