Cornerstone No. 189, page 6
Ian J. Kirby (15.02.1934-23.10.2017)
No –– Ian was a not a regular member of our congregation at the Scots Kirk
but he was a constant worshipper at Christ Church, here in Lausanne –– and
his wife, Pam, is one of the Kirk’s most faithful and productive members. Ian’s
funeral at Christ Church on October 28th was numerously attended. Not only
by his fellow worshippers at the Church, but also by
former ‘colleagues’ from the University of Lausanne,
and the
and, many of
us from the Kirk. His influence on the lives of others
was thus demonstrated.
Ian was a gifted and highly (but modestly) qualified
academic. His title(s) came as Professor, Dr. Kirby
(oh, yes) but when, at a VP Music Hall back in the
1980s, I, as the MH Chairman, announced that a
certain character had been portrayed by Professor
Kirby, Ian admonished me and told me not to refer
to his academic titles in future! Ian was a friendly and
helpful member of the ‘Amdram’ fraternity –– both in
Vevey and in Lausanne. He gave us a great deal of
advice and encouragement (although he and I argued when it came to
football…). He was the person to whom we put the questions (and there were
many) when a point arose as to who said what and where in one of the works
of Shakespeare (for here I. Kirby was an authority).
Ian’s passing leaves more than a void in the lives of his family, his theatre
colleagues and his academic contacts; his life, celebrated on October 28th,
shows us what we can achieve in this life so short.
Once again, we will be opening the church in the afternoon during Advent. The
doors will be flung wide from Monday 11 December to Friday 22 December,
from 16h to 19h. We invite you to drop by for some time to yourself, a moment
of peace and quiet. As ever, we rely on a small but committed group to welcome
visitors, but there is always room for more. On Saturday 16 December we will
be serving mulled wine, mince pies and other Christmas goodies. If you have
children or grandchildren, why not attend the Holiday Storytime (+ craft) on
Wednesday afternoons from 15h to 16h before coming along to the church? We
look forward to seeing you at Open Church.
The Outreach Team