The “humanity, humour and humility” of longstanding political figure Billy Petrie OBE have been remembered at the funeral of the dedicated Vale hospital campaigner.
Mr Petrie died peacefully at his home on August 25, aged 94.
Hundreds of people attended his funeral at Helensburgh Parish Church on Thursday, while a long queue of mourners formed outside the church well before the service began, waiting patiently to meet members of Mr Petrie’s family before entering the building.
Mr Petrie enjoyed decades of public service as a councillor and had the unique distinction of being Provost in three different councils during his lengthy tenure. Among those in which he sat was the old Dunbartonshire County Council.
A long queue of mourners formed outside the church well before the service began, waiting patiently to meet members of Mr Petrie's family before entering the building.
Tributes were paid during the service by two local ministers who knew Mr Petrie well - the Rev John Christie, a former moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and the Rev Fred Booth, former minister at the now-closed St Columba Church in Sinclair Street.
Mr Christie said both men were "privileged to be leading this service of worship, celebration and thanksgiving", and pointed to the submission of an Early Day Motion at the House of Commons by Helensburgh's MP, Brendan O'Hara, as an example of the esteem in which Mr Petrie was held.
In a speech of appreciation, Mr Booth - who was a close friend of the Petrie family despite never being minister at Mr Petrie's local parish church in Rhu and Shandon - said: "Though not Billy's minister, I became steadily aware of the effect he had on people through his humanity, his humour and his humility."
READ MORE: Heartfelt tributes paid to the man many knew as 'Mr Helensburgh'
Mr Booth recalled his friend's 45 years of service in elected office as a local councillor for parts of the area, beginning on Helensburgh Town Council in 55 years ago - but remembered that Mr Petrie was reaching out to help his fellow residents long before that, from behind the counter of the post office and shop in Rhu.
"Long before his entry into public life in 1967," Mr Booth recalled, "there was never a day went by when, from that shop and post office in Rhu, he wasn't there for someone."
The congregation laughed when told of Mr Petrie's election slogan in that 1967 campaign - 'You Know Him, He Knows You - Let Him Be Your Man For Rhu'.
Hymns sung during the service included Mr Petrie's own favourite, Be Thou My Vision, as well as We Lay Our Broken World In Sorrow At Your Feet - sung, apropriately, to the tune 'Garelochside'.
The order of service also included two hymns sung at the funerals of Mr Petrie's daughter Barbara, who died suddenly in January 2011, and his wife Jean, who passed away in May 2014 aged 86 - How Great Thou Art and Thine Be The Glory.
After the service, mourners watched as Mr Petrie's coffin, borne by members of his family, was piped out of the church building by piper Colin Lawrie and loaded carefully on to a waiting hearse.
Jim Auld, from local firm James Auld Funeral Directors, led the cortege out into West King Street, at the start of its journey to Cardross Crematorium and a private family committal.
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