This afternoon the team membership paid its respects to the late Howard Gilliland, formerly of our Support Group, at his funeral and celebration of his life.

Howard Thomas Gilliland, born in February 1944, sadly passed away in the early hours of Sunday morning, 15th July 2012, following a long and debilitating illness.

Howard, a friend to all in the team and with a great sense of humour, first became involved in the team, when along with his wife Teresa, they both followed their daughter Elaine (Currently our Training Officer) into the team, joining our Support Group in July 2008.

Team members travelled to Howard’s Brinscall home in three of our Team Land Rover Ambulances and our Minibus, then journeying to the service and celebration of his life at Charnock Richard Crematorium.

Here Team Call Out list and Support Group members wearing team kit (At the family’s request) formed up to provide an appropriate ‘Guard of Honour’ as the funeral cortege arrived, with Team Call Out list member Andy Kench, at the request of Howard’s family, joining five close family members in being a pall bearer.

The service which celebrated Howard’s life via music, poems and wonderful anecdotes, brought tears and smiles in equal measure, revealing Howard’s past largely unknown to most of the team members present, with the final thoughtful comments being ‘What a true Gentleman’.

Team members then joined all present at the Hoghton Arms Public House at Withnell for drinks and a buffet, all in remembrance of a kindly and fun to be around man, husband to Teresa (Also a Support group member), father to two daughters (Including our Training Officer Elaine Gilliland) and grandfather to four grandchildren.

In total twenty two team call out list members attended today, plus Janet Hutchinson our President’s wife, and two members of our Support Group, Iain Clarkson and Julie Thompson.

In addition former Support Group member Peter Whitney also attended, having journeyed from his new home on Skye today.