Post by Thomas Cunningham on May 10, 2009 20:23:15 GMT
From Scottishrugby website.
www.scottishrugby.org/community/content/view/2092/404/
Friday, 08 May 2009
Irvine RFC is saddened to record the death of its President, Tom Stewart (50) who died on Wednesday 6th May after a long illness. Tom Stewart had been a club stalwart for many years having progressed through the club’s successful youth section in the early 1970’s to become a 1st XV regular until his job as a chef took him into the North Sea oil industry. Even then, he was a regular player for the club’s lower XVs on his weekends off where he managed to combine readily his on-field reputation as a rumbustious forward with those of an affable and sociable individual.
On hanging up his boots, Tom Stewart became involved in the coaching and administrative side of Irvine Rugby and, for the past two seasons, and despite his illness, he was an active Vice President of the club on the playing side. He took great pride in Irvine’s successes in Premier 3 and was at his best when welcoming visiting teams to the club, some of whom were making their first visit to Marress.
Despite his failing health, his long-cherished ambition to become Club President was recently realised at the club’s AGM but, sadly, Tom Stewart died before he was able to make the impact on his club that his presidency would inevitably have produced. He is the first President of Irvine RFC to have died in office.
Tom Stewart’s funeral, and a celebration of his life, will be held at Holmsford Bridge Crematorium, Dreghorn, Irvine, KA11 4EF on Wednesday 13th May at 2pm. The family has asked that rugby club ties should be worn at his funeral in celebration of his love for the game of rugby.