Friday, April 18, 2025
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It was with profound sadness that I learned from his beloved daughter Maryanne in the late evening of the 14 April 2025 that my dearest Uncle Willie had passed away after a short illness. Willie, the youngest of three children (Beatrice-my mother, Tilda and Willie) to Mary Anne McMonigle and William McMonigle. Willies Father William served in World War II in the Royal Artillery, a quiet man who rarely had words for his two red headed grandsons who terrorized his vegetable garden and for a period stayed at his house with Tilda and Willie at 27 Brae Ave Whitecrook, Clydebank Scotland. Sadly Willies mother, my grandmother would succumb to cancer at an early age.
Growing up in the same house as Willie was a complete joy, he was so much fun to be around and a characteristic that would never change throughout his entire life. Clydebank in those days was famous for its Shipbuilding heritage and Willie like thousands of other sons of the town headed to the the yards of the Clyde to learn his trade. This was a tough no nonsense environment, where Willie flourished and soon gained a reputation as a hard worker (a grafter). A saying for the time "He was a Mans Man!)
In his spare time in the evenings he (The Tall Handsome Lad) would go to the dance halls which were plentiful in those days, and by day time he would play representative football (soccer) as a talented goalkeeper, often two games in a weekend coming home with bumps and bruises, but he just loved the game with no complaints and was certainly on the radar of scouts for potential senior football.
Sometime in his twenties Willie made the decision to work away within the shipping industry and often be gone afar from Scotland for long periods before returning home and regaling us with tales of his adventures of a working man abroad. In the 1970s the Shipping industry in Scotland was in decline and coupled with his maverick spirit Willie was on his way again. He worked for a period in the USA but finally settled in Canada after meeting his beloved Jan. For many years thereafter Willie worked at the Dry Dock in St John NB until its closure.
The fruits of Willie and Jan's love produced their beloved daughter Maryanne, the proudest parents you never did see. Willie had the supreme joy of seeing his daughter grow and blossom into the finest young woman on the planet. Maryanne traveled tot he USA and married Chris McNamara, Willie a frequent visitor reveled in the joy watching his grandchildren Will Mac and C Mac grow to be the fine young men there are today.
Willie with the hands the size of spades was the most gentle, humble and kindest man I ever knew. He had time for everyone, a kind word and always a please and thank you.
I Stewart McKinnon, Willies nephew, had always kept in touch with my favorite uncle all these years, he was especially close to me after I had lost my father at an early age and guided me through some difficult and dark years as a young man. I was a frequent visitor to St John NB in the late 80s and 90s and seriously considered to follow the path of Willie to make a life in Canada, in the end I did not and continued in my military career.
Willie a self educated man, an avid reader loved nothing better than to debate and discuss almost any topic you could imagine. He was not a prolific writer or one who would pick up the phone often and call but when the phone did ring the connection was instant.
I will never really be able to put into words the Love I had for Willie, I find solace in the thoughts of him reuniting with Jan, my mother, his parents and so on. I do also know that Willie would not want those of us to grieve for too long but to go on and enjoy life to the full thinking back only of the happy memories, good times of which there where plenty.
So rest in eternal peace Willie - Love Stewart
Pics left to right
Jan Beatrice Willie, Jan Beatrice Willie, Willie Jan Stewart, Willie in Uniform, Tilda, William (my brother) Stewart (Shorts and sandles 1969)
