Lily Kennedy was a feisty campaigner and volunteer for health as well as welfare and housing rights for pensioners in the West Dunbartonshire area.
Her work was recognised at a national level when she was awarded the MBE in 2002 for services to volunteering.
A former window dresser, Lily retired in 1983 and rather than slowing down immediately threw herself into volunteering.
She launched the Vale of Leven Seniors Forum which has since expanded to include Dumbarton.
Lily was also chair of the West Dunbartonshire Community Care Forum and has been heavily involved in discussions to protect and improve health and social care services.
She said: “I began volunteering because I think it is important to stand up and be counted. I have a strong interest in community care because it covers a very wide spectrum of issues which I support.”
Lily added Care and Repair to the causes that she championed. Staff enjoyed hearing her challenge Ministers and other speakers at the national Care and Repair Conference. Her favourite expression was, 'I think Care and Repair is the best thing since sliced bread'. She constantly promoted the added value that Care and Repair brings to older and disabled people.
The large of number of colleagues, friends and neighbours that attended the funeral service on Wednesday demonstrated the great respect that Lily had built up over years of selfless devotion to the interests of improving the health and housing of West Dumbartonshire's older and disabled people.
Robert Thomson, National Director, of Care and Repair Scotland said, 'Lily was an inspiration to us and a genuine supporter and champion of Care and Repair at a local and national level. She was loved by the staff and everyone appreciated her warm personality and her fearlessness in fighting for the causes in which she believed. Care and Repair needs more people like Lily and she will be greatly missed'.
