Samuel Hilditch (Sam)

1916 - 2007

As I was thinking of Sam, three words came to mind; the first was family, the second was faithfulness, and the third was faith. As I listened to the family and to others speak about Sam, it was interesting to note in what they were saying how often those 3 words sprung to mind.

Sam Hilditch was born on the 20th September 1916, a son to Sam and Jane Hilditch, the youngest in a family of 3 boys and a girl. Of that original family circle only Eileen his sister survives today.

Home for the Hilditch family was Ballycarry – however when Sam was five the family moved to Belfast where they became members of McCrory Memorial Presbyterian church.

It was in McCrory was Sam’s involvement with the Boys’ Brigade begun. As a young boy, he joined the company and passed through the different sections. Sam was a committed member of the Boys Brigade, and that commitment was marked when he was asked to represent his company at a BB celebration event held at Ibrox Park in 1933. Sam’s continued interest and involvement in the Boys’ Brigade was also revealed when he attended a similar event some 50 years later in 1983.

The Hilditch family remained in Belfast until the Blitz, when they decided to move to Whitehead. Sam took his love for the Boys Brigade with him to Whitehead and in 1942 he formed a BB company there. I know that it was a matter of great pride when Sam and Kitty were invited back in 1992, as special guests, on the 50th anniversary of the company’s formation.

Sam held a deep conviction that wherever the boys in his BB company ended up in the world, what they had learned in their BB days would stand by them. Yesterday there was a telephone call to the manse, from a man who had read in the paper of Sam’s passing, who wanted to phone and just say how much he owed to Sam Hilditch, and how Sam was still held in such high esteem by so many.

During his younger days Sam was also involved in sport. He loved football, a passion that was to stay with him all through his life. He played as a goalkeeper for Crusaders, and won several medals with the club and he also loved watching football, be it Manchester City at Maine Road, or Kilmore Rec here in the village.

After leaving school Sam worked as a traveller in the drapery business, and it was in the line of business on a call to Dunlops that Sam met Kitty. Love blossomed, they were married in 1947, and they were given 60 years of wonderfully happy married life together. It is clear that Sam and Kitty were deeply committed to each other, and it was easy to see the love that they shared.

And so today our thoughts would be with Kitty, and we would pray that the Lord would be near to her and the Lord would surround her with his peace and love.

And what we pray for Kitty we also pray for Jennifer. I know that words cannot adequately describe the closeness of the relationship you had with you dad or the closeness of the relationship Sam had with Barry and with Adam and Suzanne, but everyone was able to see it exhibited in the place that you held in one another’s lives.

After their marriage Sam and Kitty Set up home in Belfast, and joined Cooke Centenary church. After a few years they heard of two sisters selling a drapery business in Derrygonnelly. And so they bought the business, moved to Derrygonnelly and started trading.

After some five years in Derrygonnelly a friend told them of a business that was for sale in Ardglass. When those who were selling the business met Sam, they were suitably impressed, a deal was reached, and Sam and the family moved Ardglass.

There were some great times, and some hard times in Ardglass. In the mid 1970s, the business was firebombed. Sam and Kitty who lived above the business, just managed to escape with their lives, but everything else, including all of their personal belongings was destroyed. It was a devastating blow and a traumatic experience and yet they got on with life. Sam and Kitty moved to Downpatrick, and Sam started trading again in Ardglass, from a portacabin.

After ten years in Downpatrick the Sam & Kitty moved to Crossgar. In coming to Crossgar Sam and Kitty joined Lissara Presbyterian and became heavily involved in the life of the congregation. Having been elected an elder in Whitehead when he was 29, Sam was co-opted on the Session and sang in the choir. And he often gave the children’s talk in church using his puppets to the delight of the children.

When I came to Lissara some three years ago, Sam was no longer as mobile as he once was and no longer able to attend worship on a regular basis, yet he always maintained a tremendous interest in all that was going on in the church and was always supportive and encouraging.

It was clear that Sam’s condition was deteriorating in recent months and that he needed some intensive nursing. He was in hospital for a period of time, before moving to the Silver Birch nursing home.

Two weeks ago he was readmitted back into the Down and on the afternoon of Sunday 2 December 2007 Sam passed away.