Dundee soldier given a hero’s send-off by 300 mourners

Funeral: Appeal results in hundreds paying their respects to 95-yearold army veteran

A Dundee-born army veteran who died alone in a care home aged 95 received a hero’s send-off yesterday – with his sister and nephew at his funeral.

It was feared nobody would be at the grave side of Second World War Royal Artillery gun commander Troop Sergeant Major Stewart Abbot Cooney, who passed away on June 9 in Leeds, West Yorkshire.

However, after staff at Colton Lodges Nursing Home put out an appeal, more than 300 mourners, including current and former soldiers, leather-clad biker gang members, his carers and complete strangers packed Rawdon Crematorium to remember his life, along with his sister Helen and nephew Stewart.

Mr Cooney’s coffin was draped in the Union flag with a Royal Artillery cap on top.

Members of the motorcycle gang Yorkshire Riders acted as pall-bearers as widower Mr Cooney was piped into the memorial service to the tune of The Skye Boat Song through a guard of honour.

Independent funeral celebrant Lynda Gomersall told the packed crematorium that Mr Cooney was born in Dundee in 1921 and trained as a jute weaver before the war.

He fought in Syria, Egypt and in 1944 Monte Cassino, Italy – commanding 90

SWNS. Hundreds of people attended the funeral of Stewart Cooney at Pudsey Cemetery, Leeds.