TRIBUTES PAID TO KING OF ROAD

Jenny Foulds • Published 21 Jul 2009 08:00

HUNDREDS of council workers are mourning the death of a well-respected colleague who has sadly passed away after a short illness.

This week the grieving wife and daughters of family man John Black, of Levenvale, thanked his former workmates for their support and paid their own moving tribute to him.

John, who had worked in the Roads department for 30 years, had been battling pancreatic cancer.

His family revealed that they have been overwhelmed with the messages of support they have been inundated with since the much-loved 52-year-old passed away on July 7.

Both the Dumbarton and Clydebank depots of West Dunbartonshire Council's Roads department closed the day John died, as a mark of respect to the man who had worked there for three decades.

Up to 300 mourners attended John's funeral in Bonhill Parish Church.

His widow Pauline and daughters, Joanne and Amanda, this week spoke to the Reporter about the type of person John was and about how they will remember him.

Pauline, 49, said: "Since John passed away, we have had more than one-hundred and seventy cards from people expressing their condolences.

"But each one of those cards has a personal message about him in it, which just shows you the kind of guy he was, how he was always helping people.

"He was an incredible family man, and was always there to help. Our extended family is quite large but is very close-knit, and he was a massive part of that.

"His funeral was packed to the rafters, but almost everyone there knew John, and they have been a great help through this time."

She added: "It has really been quite overwhelming for us, the enormity of it all has still to hit us.

"John was always such a big protector of all of us, so we made a pact not to get upset in front of him, and although that was hard, it was what he wanted, and that's why we're still just trying to get on with things."

John, a former Levenvale Primary and Vale of Leven Academy pupil, grew up in Tullichewan, and after training as a mechanic in Dumbarton, started work for the council's Roads department in 1979.

During his three decades of service, he worked his way up to road superintendent, a post he stayed in until he was forced to stop work in February of this year due to illness.

Then in April, John was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

He was laid to rest on Friday July 10.

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This article appeared in Dumbarton & Vale of Leven Reporter 21 Jul 09

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