Bill was a man with a huge heart and strong beliefs – He called a spade a shovel and couldn’t do enough for those around him.  The reading you’ve just heard; ‘The Parable of the Good Samaritan’ ,epitomised his approach  to life - He always put others before himself.

Bill was Born ‘William Burleigh’ in Glasgow on 22 August 1939 to Mina and Andrew Burleigh, he was the oldest of three Brothers  - both Andy and Jim are here today.

Something most people don’t know is that as a child he was knocked over by a tram and he spent a very long time in hospital missing a considerable amount of schooling while various breaks and fractures mended.

His run-in didn’t stop him getting back on a bike and spending most weekends with the Glasgow Wheelers cycling from home up to Loch Lomond, often over 100miles in one trip.  He sometimes talked about his use of modern cycling technology– namely wrapping newspaper around his chest to keep the cold out.

He went to school at Bellahouston academy in Glasgow and then went on to take an apprenticeship in Electrical Engineering with Scottish Machine Tool, where he learnt his trade that served him so well.

He was a bit of ‘dandy’ in his younger days – Never a hair out of place, his poor Mother had shirts starched, winkle pickers polished and suits pressed so that he would always look at his best at the local dance.

Bill met Maureen in 1963 in a ‘5 pin’ bowling alley – Maureen was there with some friends from work and Bill had been playing in a match - he always talked about their first meeting as being ‘love at first sight’.  He offered Maureen some lessons and a lift home in his pride and joy of a car, which had leopard skin seats and heart shaped cushions - and that was the start of their romance.

Maureen and Bill were on two different sides of the ‘religious track’ which caused them some problems in 1960’s Glasgow - but they knew that they were meant to be together and Bill wasn’t one to let something like that get in the way of him and his soul mate.

They were Engaged in 1967 - Married on 3 May 1969 after a lot of ‘family discussions’ – In the end they just said “to hell with it”, he booked the honeymoon first and then told the families giving them a grand total of 6 weeks to prepare.

Bill, as all his friends here know, has always been very clever with his hands.  Woodwork, Metalwork, Electrical, nothing was a problem.  However his ‘first’ DIY let-down was at his Brother Andy’s house; Maureen and Andy’s wife, Liz,  had arranged a girls night out - Bill decided that with Andy labouring, they could spend their time wallpapering Andy’s kitchen.  After a couple of lagers they started.   A few hours past - job finished.  Maureen and Liz arrived home and went into the kitchen to see Bills handy work.  They thought it was a job well done.  Just then Bill piped up “Spot the deliberate mistake” – The two strips of upside-down wallpaper with their flowers pointing at the floor were on the wall until Andy and Liz sold the house.  Who knows the wallpaper may still be a Bill Burleigh talking point in that house 47 years on.

His son, Craig, was born in 1971 – Before he was born Maureen became very ill and Bill was asked by the doctors which one he wanted them to save.  It was the hardest decision of his life but obviously he chose his sweetheart – when both of them pulled through he was the proudest dad in the world.

Bill and Maureen moved south of the border in 1974 and quickly made a lot of new friends - many nights in the 70’s would be spent at Deighton Gates parents’ discos – he loved to dance and could cut a rug with the best of them.   

Bill continued to help anyone with anything that needed fixing or installing - he’s probably responsible for about 50% of the garden lighting  in Wetherby – there wasn’t much electrical that he couldn’t do.  I can personally vouch for that, after one occasion when I was tampering with some electrical fault at home – I crossed some wires, gave myself an electric shock, was thrown across the room right into the fireplace and was covered in soot from head to toe……thankfully Bill took over the electrical work in my house from then on in.

Bill spent two years traveling down to Hertfordshire with a car full of tools and little room for Maureen – to help Craig and Anna rebuild their new project – A 1920’s house of DIY horrors.  His contribution was huge and he helped make that house a real family home.  Even the neighbours knew him and started asking if he had a few minutes to look at something or other.

The theme continues to Collingham Bowling club where he not only played a bit of bowls, made a lot of friends and had a joke or 10 but he also installed, lights, a new kitchen and a host of other bits and pieces in the club.  If there was a trophy for fixing things for the club and it’s members it would surely have his name etched on it.

Although certain people at the club who also thought themselves proficient in DIY quickly became the butt of his jokes, with their tools not being up to ‘Bill’s Standards’ , I think his words that will be remembered were “those tools should be in a ‘bloody museum’”.

As you all know his sense of humour was always ever present … while discussing the financial needs of the bowling club and the huge expense of keeping the green in tip top condition, he was first to pipe up with the suggestion of using the ashes of ‘out-going’ members of the club to save money on fertiliser.  I’m not sure that Maureen will be putting that into practice!

His long awaited Grandaughter, Ella was born in 2011 and quickly became the light of Bill’s life.  ‘Grampy’ as he was now to be known continued to be a  source of raspberry kisses and funny faces to make us all laugh, not just Ella.  Bill will continue to be Grampy to her for the rest of her life.

Like a true Scottish engineer, he was fascinated with how everything worked……He would disappear in DIY stores for hours on end (even ‘Home Depot’ when he went  to Florida with Anne and Jim) and return enthused about new products that he’d never seen before.  It became a standing joke with the family with everyone giving him presents of DIY gift vouchers on special occasions but only Maureen being brave enough to disappear with him for days on end into B&Q.

He loved the time that he spent in Florida every year with Maureen and Anne and Jim, he was known for his over enthusiastic singing of ‘The sun has go his hat on, hip, hip, hip, hooray’ every morning while chomping on a doughnut before going out for ‘another’ breakfast .   He was at his happiest in a pair of shorts siting on the beach or just watching the fishermen bringing in the days catch – simple things gave him great pleasure.

He was always happy as long as he had good friends and family around him, he loved to banter, he loved to tell ‘Dad’ jokes, he loved to help people that he cared for - but most of all he loved life to the full.

To Maureen he was the man that on first meeting she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with – he was her best friend.  He was the man she shared all her love, family and dreams with, the man who gave her so much love and happiness through the 50 years that they knew and loved each other.

To Craig he was ‘Dad’ - The man that would cut off his right arm for his son, the giver of immense love, the proudest man in the world who continued to encourage and praise every day.   He gave Craig the principles to live by, to treat others the same way you want them to treat you, that ‘good guys get, bad guys don’t’ – but most of all he gave him total unashamed love that Craig will always treasure.

Bill was a much-loved Husband, Dad, father-in-law, Grampy, Brother and all round good friend to us all.  He will be very very sorely missed but never ever forgotten.

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