THERE was a full house at the Clyde Coast and Garnock Valley Crematorium recently for the funeral service of a former postman who served North Ayrshire for four decades.
Norman McGowan passed away unexpectedly at the age of 77 after a lifetime of activity which he led up to a recent illness.
Norrie, as he was known, grew up in Kelvin Street, Largs and had continued a boyhood friendship with local men Jim Lamont and Taffy Dicks.
He had three big sisters, Betty, Margaret and Jean, and his older brother Stanley was a skilful footballer who played with Largs Thistle among other clubs.
In fact, Norrie and son Andrew had season tickets for Thistle and Glasgow Rangers, said celebrant Gary Erskine. Indeed, he had followed the Ibrox club, home and away, since boyhood.
At 16, he applied to join the Royal Marines but when they came chapping at his door his mother sent them packing. He worked for a Largs butcher before joining the Royal Mail in town.
In 1971, he married Ann Chapman from Crookston but suffered a blow when he was hospitalised with complications from tuberculosis. As a footballer and a fitness fanatic, he was told he would never be able to straighten one of his legs.
They moved to Eglinton Street in Saltcoats, transferring as a postie from Largs and becoming a mail driver. They brought up two sons, Andrew and David, in what is still the family home.
Despite his physical handicap, Norrie took up running and completed the Glasgow marathon, and continued playing amateur football. He also took up kayaking in his 60s and was one of the original members of Largs Walking Football Club, where, at the age of 75, he was renowned for making diving saves as a goalkeeper.
He could also be seen, in his latter years, roller skating along Saltcoats prom. In 'retirement' he worked part-time as a caretaker at the Aldi supermarket in Saltcoats.
There was a big representation of both Aldi and the walking footballers at the service.
Celebrant Mr Erskine said: "For a man who had been so fit and active throughout his life, he lost his sparkle when he became ill in the past year."
A collection was taken on behalf of the Prostate Cancer charity.
Poignantly, Norrie's funeral took place on the sixth anniversary of the death of wife, Ann.