Alan Stewart - My Dad

Thank you all for your cards, prayers and loving support following the sudden death of my father. I want to tell you a bit about my Dad and pay tribute to him. Writing this has been helpful for me, but I also want to thank God for giving me such a wonderful Dad.

My father, Alan Stewart, was born in Jos, Nigeria where his parents were missionaries with the Sudan Interior Mission. He spent his first six years there and then he and his younger sister lived with another family in Northern Ireland. In the 1950s his parents returned home and ran the missionary home in Liverpool. This was where Dad met my Mum and they were married in 1959. My grand-parents then returned to Nigeria for another term of service and were away when my aunt was married and for the births of their first four grand-children, including myself and my two brothers. My Dad never resented the long periods spent away from his parents and recognised their calling from the Lord to missionary service and the sacrifices they made to do this. But I think he felt that he and his sister had missed out a lot and that was why family life was so important for him.

Dad became a Christian as a young man and gave his life in service for God, but in a very different way to his parents. He was a very quiet, shy man and was not one for public speaking or preaching. His gifts were very practical ones and he used these for God’s service especially in his church and through the work of Merseyside Christian Youth Camps. Mum and Dad have been members of Hoylake Chapel on the Wirral for 35 years. Dad was an elder there for 30 years and served for a time as the Church secretary and treasurer. Ten years ago, having outgrown their former premises, the Chapel bought the former United Reformed Church in a prominent position in the town. Dad was very involved in this move and especially in the ongoing work of refurbishing the buildings, organising many of the jobs that needed doing and doing many of them himself.

Merseyside Christian Youth Camps is a nine-acre site near Pwllheli in North Wales, owned and used by the brethren churches for camps for young people. Mum and Dad have been involved in this work for many years and much of my childhood was spent there, both on work parties and camps. Here Dad was in his element, cutting the grass on the ride-on mower, fitting panes of glass, building, decorating, burning the rubbish and dealing with the sewage system – all jobs essential to the running of the camps. He and Mum were usually there for the pre-camp work parties as well as a week’s summer camp with Dad as the Site Officer, running the shop or helping in the kitchen (his speciality was the porridge!)

In his professional life, Dad was a much respected and admired pharmacist. He graduated from Manchester University and spent a short time in hospital pharmacy before working as a lecturer at Liverpool Polytechnic. Even after his early retirement in 1989 he continued to work as a locum pharmacist, often in pharmacies owned by friends and former students. We used to tease him that this was to earn his ‘pocket money’ so that he could afford to buy his ‘toys’; the latest computer, car, video recording equipment etc! He was always up-to-date with the latest technology and ready to give advice and help to others. This also gave him lots of credibility with his grandchildren and the young people from the church. He was also a source of information on medical matters. This was especially helpful for me as I struggled with the Meniere’s disease. Also whenever the children were ill he was always there with helpful advice.

As my earthly father he reflected the love of my Heavenly Father. Like my Father God, I know Dad was always there for me, would do anything he could for me, cared for me and loved me no matter what, despite my mistakes and faults. He was affectionate, patient, gentle, generous, fun, wise, caring….the list goes on. Dads often have a special relationship with their daughters and ours was especially so. Six weeks before he died, we attended a family wedding and were speaking to someone we hadn’t seen for several years. Dad put his arm around me and said “Yes, this is my little girl”, and that’s how I felt our relationship was in so many ways. I felt so proud and privileged to have him as my Dad. I loved him very much and miss him lots. The Lord gave him to me and now the Lord has taken him away to a better place. We will always remember him and I look forward to seeing him again in heaven. “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord”.

Alison Shipway

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