Tributes paid to 'determined' community stalwart

Agnes Galloway Macquarrie, nee MacNeill, passed away on June 18 at the age of 90.

She is fondly remembered as being a devoted wife, mother grandmother and great grandmother.

But her true passion in life was speech and drama - two important elements of the music festival which she championed over the years.

Festival president Isabel Lind said if it wasn't for Agnes, the music festival may not have been as successful as it is today.

She said: "Agnes was a life member of the Inverclyde Music Festival.

"In 1949 after the war the music festival was reinstated because it had stopped over the war years.

"At the time there was a group of men, about 12 of them, on the festival committee and one woman - Agnes.

"Agnes was there to support speech and drama and to make sure it had a place in the new festival.

"She was crucial and that's why in 2014, when we celebrated 100 years since the festival had began, we presented her with a quaich to mark that.

"It was very important that Agnes was there to support speech and drama back then.

"She was instrumental in keeping that going and her understanding and skill with the Scot's language was again very important."

Her grown-up children Lachlan Macquarrie and Mary Robinette said they are proud of their mum's incredible life.

Mary, who lives in America, said: "She was just lovely and loved to be around her family.

"She also worked very hard and was very determined.

"She was great fun and not just a mum but a good friend too."

Lachlan added: "She was a very determined lady."

Agnes was born in Port Glasgow in April 1927, the only daughter of Aeneas and Mary MacNeill for 16 years until her little brother Angus came along.

Growing up, she was very close to her grandmother, 'Granny Martin' as the whole family lived on different floors in a tenement on Brown Street.

When the Second World War broke out, Agnes, who was 12, was sent to stay with her grandfather MacNeill and her three aunts who lived in Lairg.

Agnes's great passion in life was speech and drama and in 1944 she received an qualification in elocution from the London College of Music.

After this, she taught elocution privately then latterly in the James Watt College.

Agnes also started the Elocution Section of the Inverclyde Music Festival and was responsible for choosing the poems and readings for many years.

Whilst studying in Glasgow she did readings and recitals with local groups and her talent was soon brought to the attention of Ray Lynn Craig who invited her to join the Greenock Players Amateur Drama Group.

It was here that she met Lachlan, the love of her life whom she married in 1956.

It was a very special time for the couple as the Players were rehearsing for 'Reve’s Tale', a play that won many awards and featured live on TV.

At this time Agnes made the front page of the Radio Times for her role in the play.

After her husband died in 1988, Agnes was determined to learn to drive, and at the age of 61, passed her driving test.

Agnes also loved to travel and made many trips to America to visit her daughter Mary and to Australia to visit her brother Angus as well as visits to Europe.

Agnes was a grandmother to Kyle, Caitlin, Amy and Zach and great grandmother to Benny and Liam and has a great granddaughter due in August.

Latterly Agnes lived into Bagatelle Nursing Home where her family say she received the best care and a collection was held at her funeral for Greenock Medical Aid Society, the charity which runs Bagatelle.

Mary said: "She was welcomed with a big bunch of flowers and cared for in a way that was far beyond anything Lachlan and I could ever have hoped for.

"Mum said the staff were angels."

Agnes had many dear friends, many of whom she met through the organisations she was a member of such, as The Lyle Kirk, Soroptimists, SCDA, National Trust, Greenock Players and the Burns Club.

Mary added: "We are so proud of all her accomplishments and will cherish her and all the wonderful memories of her in our hearts."