Service to honour the ‘two amigos’
Bill and Barry’ s memorial bench will bring sunshine
Two Rutherglen and Cambuslang community stalwarts, who died within five days of each other, have been remembered by family and friends at a moving celebration of their lives.
A handmade bench in memory of close friends Bill May and Barry Keenan was handed over to custodian Rutherglen Baptist Church last week as a tribute to the enormous contribution the two men made to their hometown.
Barry’s sons Barry, Michael and Steven were at the celebration, along with Bill’s daughter Karen and his niece Cory.
Also present were Danny Smith and Andy Henry, who represented the 10-strong team from Healthy n Happy Community Trust’s DIY group, who lovingly built the bench in memory of the men.
Both passed away last June within days of each other – Barry aged 93, and pal Bill, who was 83.
Matt Laird came to know Bill and Barry when they were enjoying one of their favourite pastimes – singing – and the pair inspired Matt to join the Salvation Army choir in 2012.
Matt explained that after the death of both men’s wives some years ago, Barry and Bill both decided to devote themselves to the community as a way of getting by.
Like Matt, the pair were members of the Duke of Edinburgh Awardstyle challenge for older people, the Clutha Award, achieving bronze, silver, then gold.
Regularly entertaining care home residents as members of the Rock and Pop Choir, Bill and Barry were also involved in theatre group People’s Past, People’s Future, performing in the Mary Barbour Story about Glasgow’s first female politician, first in St Columbkille’s Church and then at venues across Glasgow. Matt remembers Barry as a talented boat builder who constructed a replica model of steamer the Lucy Ashton which he sailed at Richmond Park, Oatlands.
As members of the DIY group, they built benches and bird boxes for care homes and parks, and also planters for community group Grow 73.
They also joined a team of volunteers to paint a mural at Cambuslang Library, featuring the town’s famous sons such as Midge Ure and Mick McGahey.
The memorial bench is decorated with hand painted robins in tribute to Barry’s skills as an artist.
“It also has flowers and musical notes, as both were great singers and would sing at the drop of a hat,” said Matt.
In tribute to their contribution, a plaque reads: “Bill May and Barry Keenan. This bench is a final gift to their community which they dedicated so much of their lives to helping”.
And, as a reminder of the song they loved to perform together, it says: “Bring Me Sunshine”.
The bench was handed over on the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, in which Barry fought with the Queen’s Own Scottish Borderers.
Matt recalls how Barry, of Cathkin, joked he was part-German, as he still had shrapnel in his leg.
Bill, of Westburn, did his national Service in Germany in the 1950s.
At the service, Matt and the men’s families and friends joined members of People’s Past People’s Future in singing Bring Me Sunshine, with music from piper John Paton and three ukulele players.
“They did so much in their lives, you could write a book,” added Matt.
“They would have loved it. They’d have been up there singing.
“They would talk to anybody, from a king to a tramp. At this time of year, they were always involved at various parties with all the groups they were in.
“They were the two amigos.”