Beloved and cherished wife of Dad, the late Thomas (Tommy) and loving mother of the late Thomas (Tommy), Margaret (Marlene) & Samuel (Sam)
Typically such a memorial might be written by the eldest son,(my beloved late brother Tommy). It may also have been composed by my elder sister Marlene, However, she has been so dutifully overwhelmed and inundated dealing with coroner's reports and funeral arrangements etc. etc etc. I am very aware of the irony that the privileged opportunity has been given to me. The one child who gave Mum more "trouble" than the combined total of my two siblings. They didn't come even close to the number of wrong decisions that I have made in the past. I was unquestionably the undisputed champion of our family in these matters.
Nevertheless, I approach this privilege prayerfully and with the utmost reverence and hope and pray that it will be received in the same spirit in which it is given.
Chapter One : Mum was born in Belfast, N. Ireland on Thursday 24th August, 1924. Her birth mother was Margaret Benson. This period of poverty in Ireland could well be described as "hard times" but please be assured that those of us who were raised in such circumstances truly believe that we were privileged to have lived among the "underprivileged". We were truly blessed to have lived with a wonderful sense of community and solidarity and did not suffer the sense of alienation and loneliness which often afflicted the so called "privileged".
"Soon after Mum was born she was adopted by Margaret (Maggie) Kirk and her husband John and Mum became wee Florrie Kirk. Maggie, our "Grannie", was unable to have children and Mum was the third child that they adopted. The oldest adopted sibling was John (Jackie) and then Margaret (Peggy) Thus began the first chapter of Mum's life. Maggie was " as tough as nails " but a wonderful, generous and warm hearted woman. She earned the little money she could by things like scrubbing the floors of the "privileged", hand knitting and crocheting sweaters etc. and smuggling contraband from the south of Ireland. It was well known that, once she even crocheted an entire wedding dress and earned only a few shillings for her labour. Our "Granda " worked as a navvy digging holes in the roads often in the middle of Irish rain. Mum often talked of the almost daily ritual of watching the steam rising of his work clothes in front of the fire in order that they might be dry enough to wear the following day. The man cheerfully did this year after year to give three children, who were not his own natural offspring , a happy, proud and noble heritage.
Mum often enthusiastically talked about her happy days of childhood. Occasionally she might talk about our Grannie, Maggie, being a little too strict but she undoubtedly felt cherished and secure. She was a bright and well disciplined student at school but, in those days, in poor districts almost everyone left school at 14 or 15 to enter the work force. She worked in linen mills etc. for very little money and even less appreciation but, nevertheless she remembered it all as " happy days".
Mum was a very pretty, good natured child and grew into a strikingly attractive teenager and we have often heard she was the prettiest girl in the district. Thus ends the first chapter of wee Florrie Kirk's journey through l.

Chapter Two : At sixteen, while leaving a factory on a Friday afternoon, with some friends, she met a handsome young man called Tommy McNeill (Dad). Perhaps it might be more appropriate to say that Tommy met Florrie. He was clearly more "smitten" by her than she him. Nevertheless, Tommy wasted no time in finding out which particular ballroom this "sweet sixteen" frequented. The next night Tommy, (Saturday), dressed in his only suit and probably his only dress shirt and tie arrived at the Rialto ballroom with only one thing on his mind. Wee Florrie Kirk. In his mind, he had found his sweetheart and she remained his one and only sweetheart until his last breath at the age of 86 when he left us to be with the Lord. Dad was a quintessential "forsaking all others till death doth us do part " man. He pursued Mum with an absolute singleness of purpose until she accepted his proposal of marriage . At Mum's tender age of just eighteen they became man and wife. I could write an entire book about their life together but let me just say that it was most certainly the Lord who brought them together and ensured that they remained so.

Chapter 3 : We'll need to travel back through time again to a time when wee Florrie Kirk was just a "wee girl". It is absolutely essential that we do so in order to clarify who our Mum was, who she became and where our Mum is now. In our district there were some men and women who were devoted to our Lord Jesus and bringing as many as they were able to understanding an accepting the gospel of salvation through faith in His promises to all who would believe. Sometimes these weekly events would be in the form little gospel oriented children's clubs and sometimes in the form of formal gospel services. Mum attended all of these religious opportunities "religiously" and continued to do so as she became a young woman. I recognize that some " religious " people might dogmatically insist that a " decision for Christ " must essentially be an " adult decision ". I would concede that, in some cases that may be true but I would also remind that our Saviour said "Suffer the little children to come unto me". I am persuaded that Mum became "accepted in the beloved" at an early age.

Chapter 4: The last chapter in wee Florrie Kirk's life on earth. I'm not completely sure when Mum contracted AMD. (age - related macular degeneration). I'm guessing about ten years ago. My sister Marlene would probably more accurate than me about the timing. AMD is a terrifying, incurable progressive disease which results in virtually permanent blindness . Of course this was a very difficult and grave affliction with which Mum had to face and, of course, at times, she would have difficulty accepting it but as I reflect over this period I am VERY proud of the courage she displayed. She had her "bad times" but she probably dealt with it much better than I, myself, would have done and, if you seriously contemplate it perhaps better than you, yourself, might have handled it. To lose the precious gift of sight would test the faith of the strongest believer in Christ but Mum NEVER stopped believing.
Mum was yet to face other tribulations. She later became afflicted with dementia. It is impossible to try to understand how frightening that must have been and of course someone who is suffering from it is automatically ill equipped to either understand it or articulate to others what they might be experiencing. This one thing I know. Mum NEVER lost faith in Christ as her Saviour.
At times Mum lived with me and at times with my sister Marlene. In the final days Marlene took wonderful care of Mum for more than a year despite that Marlene has serious tribulations to face herself. In the last four months of Mum's life she was with me. In some ways it felt like "hell on earth" to see all aspects of her life deteriorate but PLEASE,PLEASE,PLEASE, understand and believe that it was also like experiencing "heaven on earth". In spite of everything, Mum actually became a MORE contented woman than I have ever seen her to be. She really entered into an amazing state of grace. She learned to appreciate EVERYTHING that ANYONE did for her and so readily willing to forgive me when I sometimes became less patient and understanding than I ought to have been. My mother ended her life being a VERY gracious Christlike lady. I was constantly amazed of the grace and power of God which was manifested in her.
For a long time Mum became increasingly aware that she was dying. Especially in the last few weeks of her life. She had ABSOLUTELY no fear of death and I was constantly amazed at how she VERY patiently accepted the Lord's timing on this. At nights we often had what we called "Sunday school". She loved to hear of Jesus and His Love and the many promises that he had given to those who put there trust in Him. She patiently looked forward to going to be with Him and her Mum, our Dad her cherished first born Tommy and so many others who we knew had trusted the Gospel of Christ Too many to name her. In spite of her dementia she fully understood that her salvation was a FREE GIFT and not because who any of us was but entirely because of what Christ had accomplished on the cross for all who would simply believe.
The spirit which lived in body of the woman who lies peacefully in the coffin within this room is safely in the arms of her Saviour for all eternity and she had fully understood that to HIM be ALL the glory.
I am deeply grateful to all who may have taken the time to read all which I have written. Perhaps some have not. Perhaps some may have thought that I became a little too "heavy" but if you are honest with yourself you will agree that death is a very "heavy" reality.
If I may, will close with the most well know scripture verse in the entire world. So many, many people know it.

Gospel of John 3:16

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever beleiveth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

HOWEVER.

I would be so remiss and could not claim to love you if I did not also include the next two verses

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that beleiveth on him is not condemned: but he that beleiveth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Mum has left to be with Jesus but still and always remain in the hearts of we who loved her and were loved by her.