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Protected: In Memoriam: Neil MacCormick (Pipers’ Holiday/Banks of Loch Lomond)

Apr 6th, 2009 by Nutcracker Buck in Uncategorized

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11 Comments

  • i feel like i should apologize for crying uncontrollably about the death of someone i never knew, b/c it feels very gauche or just maudlin. i’m so sorry you’ve lost janet’s father in body, if not in spirit. i’m so glad thomas and rona were able to spend time with him and have that in their chest of memories. but overwhelmingly, i’m so sorry for the loss.

  • Thank you for making me both laugh and cry, reminding me of so many wonderful things about Neil. All of us who knew him will miss him deeply.

  • This is a beautiful, Wade. I’m just talking about the writing. I haven’t even watched the song yet. He sounds like an amazing man. I love that he never looked at the time.

  • A wonderful tribute to your father-in-law, a man I knew only too briefly. I first met him in 2005 when my partner moved to Edinburgh University, and the man you describe is the very same man that I grew to admire, respect and yes to love. I will remember him for all of the qualities mentiond above, but most of all for a comment he made as we were leaving his house after the first dinner we were invited to; we were admiring the plates hung in the hallway when Neil said “Don’t take any notice of them, we were pissed when we hung them.” That is the man I remember, someone who thought on his feet and always had a ready quip on the tip of his tongue. A very sad loss, and you all have my heartfelt condolences.

  • Diana Beisch Reeves April 21, 2009 at 8:18 pm

    Wade this is a beautiful piece. You gave Neil some things that no one else could. You gave his daughter unconditional love and to him, two wonderful grandchildren. This song and story must be such a gift to Janet. No one elso could give him these wonderful gifts. You and Janet are so fortunate to have each other.

  • This is a lovely tribute to Neil. You should know that his influence continues in very tangible ways. Tonight in Dallas, the Hiett Prize in the Humanities will be awarded to a promising young scholar. One of Neil’s last public and professional acts was to judge the finalists and pick the winner.

  • A great tribute to a your father-in-law. I came across this page accidentally when I was searching for a quote he made about Finnis. Condolences to your family.

  • Wade this is a lovely, funny, real, insightful commentary on Neil. I like your weighing of Neil’s commitment to live life to the full, and always by living in the present. Inspiring to us all.

  • This beautifully written, self-effacing piece gives us a glimpse of the real man behind the person we only knew by reputation – and it was quite a reputation! One of Scotland’s greatest talents has left us and you did him justice.

  • What a great , human tribute to a great, humane man. Thank you – a joy to read and a joy to remember Neil once more as a fascinating, influential, joyous, honest , vastly intelligent and completely engaged man who defied definition but who defined himself and his country by the example he set. Scotland was a better place when he was with us , and is a better place now because of what he did , said and wrote- and because he lives on through those things and through memories such as these.