Goodbye Grandad

[Oberon]

I mentioned a few weeks ago that my Grandad had passed away peacefully just after Christmas, well today was his funeral, and I think he got a good sending off. A particularly nice touch was his old firefighting helmet, torch and retirement axe on and in front of the coffin.
Born and raised in Edinburgh, although spending a short time living in Canada, he'd started life wanting to be a vet, but as he left school at the age of fourteen (which was quite common in that day) he wound up joining the army, the 2nd Batallion of the Scots Guards, being based in various locations south of the border, including Windsor Castle. It was on one of these trips south in 1948 he met my Nan who he married not long after, and then after leaving the army he trained to become a fireman, and was based with the London Fire Brigade, he experienced quite a few harrowing sights in his time, 'shouts' (as they are called in Firefighting terms) that he kept from his two sons, who remember him coming home on Christmas Day missing his eyebrows and smelling of smoke, but there to be with them to open their presents. An ironic turn of fate happened once at a disaster in December 1957, when in thick fog two trains collided near Lewisham and brought a bridge down on top of them, Grandad Jims unit was called out, and unbeknownst to him, his future daughter-in-laws father was also called out to attend in his role as a policeman. They could very well have walked past each other, little knowing that their son and daughter would one day be married.
He stayed with the Fire Brigade until the late 1970s when a back injury during a shout forced him to retire from the fire service, by this time he and my father, at weekends, were also helping out at an animal shelter in Kent, called FOAL (Friends of the Animals League) farm, where he first met the tempestuous upstart who would become his daughter in law.
He spent the next few years until official retirement working at a hotel in Bromley as a supply man.
After retiring he took up painting, and I have some lovely paintings done by him of wild animals, but also one of the Titanic (where he took a bit of artist licence with the smoke from the fourth funnel, he explained that it just didn't look right with only three) and a nice little landscape with a steam loco in it. He used to have a shed at the bottom of the garden "Jock's shed" it was christened, and he'd spend many afternoons down there painting, and when the family got together he'd play the piano, whilst my uncle played the guitar and my Dad played the accordian, and there'd be a good time had by all.
He was a big, tall, strong man, one of the strongest in his fire unit, but he had a big heart and family was one of the most important things in it, but he was also an inquisitive man, always reading about new things, science, technology, and wondering about just what is out there in a extraterrestrial and spiritual sense. In fact, if it were not for my Grandfather, I probably would not be here on Subsim, as it was he who reawakened my interest in submarines by giving me 'Nimitz Class' and 'Kilo Class' by Patrick Robinson to read, as well as 'Business in Great Waters', and another book 'Shadow Hunters' a chapter title from which came my first internet user name of 'Electricfox' (a nickname for the F-111E which featured in this chapter).
He will leave a big hole in our family, but as long as we have the happy memories of him that we do, we shall never forget him.

James 'Jim' McIntosh Currie
1926 -2012

Some pictures from today:


His firefighters axe, as presented to him on his retirement, I'm not sure what the medals are for, as I wasn't able to look on the underside. I will have to ask Dad when I speak to him next.


His helmet and torch, with some of the flower arrangements from his coffin


One of the several boards of pictures that were displayed at the wake, on this one at the bottom right is the ship that took Jim and his brother Jack (who is still in Scotland and sadly couldn't make the funeral due to the distance he'd have to travel and his age [he is about a year older]) to Canada, the T.S.S Letitia, the sister ship of the SS Athenia which most Kaleuns here would know.

Nagy/Keab took some better pictures of the boards which I will upload when he sends them to me.

All in all, today was a good send off, and I think Grandad would have been proud of what his two sons were able to arrange, and happy that the family was together, just as he always loved.

Thank you all, and thank you Grandad, for everything.

[Cybermat47]

He sounds like a true hero.

R.I.P.

[Skybird]

Bon voyage, Sir.

[u crank]

Great post Oberon.

May he Rest In Peace.

[August]

Please accept my sincere condolences for your loss Oberon.

[vienna]

Sounds like he lived a good life; RIP...

<O>

[Takeda Shingen]

You have my deepest condolences and sympathy during this trying time, Oberon.

[BossMark]

RIP Oberon's Grandfather may he rest in peace.

[Armistead]

A very heart felt post and a life well lived.

[Catfish]

Very good post. May he rest in peace.
I did not see your initial post when your grandpa passed away, so my late condolences to you and your family.

Thanks and greetings,
Kai

[HunterICX]

Gone but he'll never be forgotten as he'll live on in the memories of the ones who knew him

HunterICX

[Dowly]

Sounds like he was a wonderful man.

[Jimbuna]

A fitting tribute Jamie to an obviously fine upstanding gentleman.

[eddie]

Sorry for your loss Oberon, that was a nice tribute to him.

[yubba]

I'm sorry for your loss, I lost a good freind new years, you take care.