Renfrewshire’s provost has paid tribute to a “lovely and kind” former minister of Paisley Abbey following his death at the age of 69.
A minute’s silence was held in the chambers on Thursday as councillors remembered Reverend Alan Birss, who passed away on Friday, December 9.
Rev Birss, who was minister at the church for more than 32 years, had been diagnosed with stage four oesophageal cancer in late September.
Provost Lorraine Cameron described him as “some man” – an individual who had “turned around the fortunes of the Abbey” and someone with a “real community spirit”.
Rev Birss was due to leave his charge at the 12th century church on June 7, 2020 but postponed his retirement due to the covid pandemic and conducted his last service in Paisley in August 2020.
Provost Cameron said on Thursday: “Before we do get on to the official business of the council, I would just like to take a minute to reflect on the very sad news of the death of the Reverend Alan Birss from Paisley Abbey.
“Alan, as you know, just retired during the covid pandemic to Aboyne with his wife Carol and obviously expecting to have a nice and happy retirement, which he deserved – he was a very hard-working man.
“Unfortunately, Alan became ill and I think it was quite quick, so he unfortunately passed away. I think all of you or most of you, at least, knew Alan. Alan had been here a long time.
“I think he’d been here in the Abbey since the 80s, the late 80s perhaps, and if you haven’t come across him then I would say ‘poor you’ because he was some man.
“He was one of the most lovely, kind and gentle men that I ever knew. As I said, he was a real hard worker, he turned around the fortunes of the Abbey and he had a real community spirit. It’s very, very, very sad.”
He passed away at home in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, with wife Carol by his side.
Carol said on Facebook: “We are incredibly grateful for the immense love and all the prayers that have been given to all of us these last months.
“Alan was quite overcome, but greatly strengthened by this. We will all miss Alan so much. He was the most wonderful of husbands and the most loving of fathers.
“Our lives will never be the same without this very special man. He is now at peace with the God he loved and served all his life.”
The funeral service will be at Paisley Abbey on Wednesday, December 21 at 11.15am followed by a private cremation.
Don't miss the latest Renfrewshire headlines – sign up to our free daily newsletter here
