Islanders attended the funeral of Councillor Pat Greenlaw who died suddenly last week.
Councillors and locals attended the funeral to pay their respects to the man described by Chairman of the Council Dudley Mumford as “a very special man.”
Pat wasn’t born on the islands but certainly made an impact. He was born in Kings Heath in Birmingham and joined the Navy aged 15. He quickly was promoted to Chief Petty Officer. He also trained as a fire fighter and was awarded the silver axe for being the best student of the year.
His naval career allowed him to travel to the Middle East and it was his work on fishing protection vessels that brought him to Scilly.
He met his wife Elsie on the islands and settled down to a variety of jobs including a farm labourer, a fireman, he ran the Garrison Campsite, drove the airport bus and was a fisherman.
He was a passionate supporter of Birmingham city and a keen member of a Scillonian football team. He threw himself into the sporting community on Scilly.
But it was his political career that made him so well known on the islands. He was the first non Scillonian to be made Chairman of the Council and was a councillor for nearly 30 years. He was Chairman of the Education Committee and Chairman of the General Purpose Committee.
Dudley Mumford said “Pat’s head was not turned by triumph nor made bitter by disaster. We have lost a very special man, but all of us on the islands are better for having had him in our midst.”