A Memorial Service for Allan Munro 14 Sep 2009

Appropriate music…Berlioz’ ‘Le Corsaire’, of course and the poignant sound of a lone piper, ’Flower of Scotland’ opened a service of memories. We learnt of his youth, son of an engine driver and his career as an engineer after his university education. Although Scotland could not provide him with employment, he remained a Scot in exile and a fearless Rugby player. That much we knew; what was a great delight was the discovery that he married Kay, his Irish nurse, whom he met regularly in the Accident and Emergency department of St George’s Hospital…

He chose sailing as an alternative to bone-breaking rugby and that was a blessing. A single trip in an RCOD, Corsair, by name, settled his sailing career for the next fifty odd years as he became her owner, offering Kay a half-share as a birthday present, a canny Scot, you might think!

His eulogy was shared by his two sons and partner of his later years and three of his grandchildren read to us. And we sang. Not what you might have expected….but we all sang with gusto, “My Darling Clementine” to the tune of ‘Guide me, Oh, Thou Great Redeemer’ as Allan did, especially after the Scots beat the English at Rugby!

The Church was full of good humour and affection for a man, who became Commodore of the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club and was proud to see his son follow him; a man of steadfastness, not given to rash decisions (stayed with the same engineering company until he retired and only passed over Corsair earlier this year) but above all a man whose many friends travelled from far and wide to fill the church for him.

To the piper playing ‘The Black Bear’ we repaired to his Club, ‘to celebrate Allan’s life in an appropriate manner’; I think he would have approved.