Mourners at the funeral of Keady bandsman Stephen Park have heard him described as a “popular” and “well-liked” young man with a deep Christian faith, who had recently found a new home and was looking forward to married life.
The 22-year-old, of Beechfield Manor in Aghalee, died after a tragic workplace accident last Thursday afternoon.
Bandmates from Drumderg Loyalist Flute Band in Keady proudly wore their uniforms as they joined with Stephen’s family, friends and colleagues at his funeral service in Lisburn Free Presbyterian Church this afternoon.
Stephen’s sister Rachel bravely read a beautiful poem she had written for “my little brother”, entitled simply ‘Forever 22’.
The loss of Stephen has left his parents, Alistair and Denise, sister Rachel, his fiancée Rachel, and the entire family circle absolutely heartbroken.
But the Rev Cairin Salt, minister of Aghalee Free Presbyterian Church, assured them that Stephen was now with his Lord Jesus Christ, following the passing of a young man who “lived his faith well”.
He said Stephen had been “sought and saved by the King” as a “very young boy” and served Him throughout his life.
“There was no end to the positive things that we could say about him,” Rev Salt told mourners, which included among that large number a gentleman who had travelled over specially from Romania – where Stephen had previously travelled to work with orphans – in order to pay his respects.
Stephen’s popularity and prayerful planning were among the many attributes which were held up as a mark of who he was.
“In life, in church life, Stephen was always loved by everyone,” said the minister. “I remember when he started Sunday School and started attending the midweek meeting there, the children’s meeting, that the teachers loved him. He was very popular, never one to cause any trouble and certainly one who was well-liked by everyone.
“Then, as he grew up into teenage years and through education, right up to this present time, he was a very, very popular person with us in Aghalee Free Presbyterian Church.
“He was very popular going through education, whether it was in primary school or high school. Everyone who knew him liked him. Of course, when he left school, he was very popular in his place of employment, in the first place he went to, and then more recently in the place that he had been working at, and I’m sure that there are many of his colleagues here today and former colleagues, and you are feeling the great loss and the sense of emptiness now that he has gone. Certainly, I believe that with every one of you that he was popular.”
Rev Salt also recalled how Stephen had “struck a deal” with his parents to be allowed to join Drumderg Loyalist Flute Band, in Keady, and how much he was loved by everyone there.
“I’m sure that his parents, Alistair and Denise, thought that there was a conspiracy between some of my boys, who were in Drumderg, and Stephen,” recalled the minister. “More often than not, after the meeting was over on a Sunday night, I’m sure his parents thought we were trying to wear them down.
“There would have been these requests for Stephen to be permitted to join Drumderg. There would have been things like, ‘oh, I’ll lift him and bring him to band practice, don’t you worry about that’, and other things like, ‘he’s just the sort of fellow that would fit in very well in the band there and we need him there’. And this went on and on. But he was in his GCSEs, I believe, at that time, and a deal was struck, that if he worked hard at his studies he would be allowed to join the band – and he didn’t need to be told twice!
“As he did join that band, he was a very highly regarded member. Some of the members are here today in their uniform. They all loved him. Just recently, a couple of weeks ago, they had a special parade in London at the Lord Carson Memorial, and he thoroughly enjoyed that with the rest of the band. Everywhere that he went, he was a very popular young man.”
Rev Salt also said Stephen – a much-loved friend and colleague at Slurry Kat – was a young man who “planned everything prayerfully”.
“He prayed about where he worked,” he said, “and if he would move from that work to another one. He prayed regarding his employment.
“But he prayed also regarding future married life. He met a young lady called Rachel Huddleston some years ago, and he brought her to our church in Aghalee and, when he brought her in, he was smiling like a basket of chips. Really, just that trademark smile that was his, but it seemed to be even bigger on this occasion when he arrived with this young lady, a good and a godly young woman.
“In due course, they got engaged. I well remember the day that he sent me the message saying I wanted you to be one of the first to know that Rachel and I got engaged today. And I really do look upon myself, even though I’m not young anymore, I think I was their friend. They looked upon me as one of their friends, and they would keep me informed about their house hunting.
“They wanted to hunt for a house that would be within driving distance of Aghalee Church, because I feel that Rachel grew to love it as much as Stephen did.”
When one house the young couple were looking at did not work out they kept going, believing that “the Lord has somewhere else for us”.
And Rev Salt added: “Just a couple of weeks ago, at the door, Stephen took his phone out and he showed me the house, a photo of the house that they had got.”
As Stephen “had his plans and he had his popularity”, the minister said he also had “his personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ”, and had recently given his testimony before the congregation at Aghalee, recalling “that time, that moment, when Jesus, the King, saved him, and everything was changed forever”.
Rev Salt, recalling the tragic circumstances which took Stephen from his family and friends, indicated that his faith should now bring them comfort.
“He served the king, but on Thursday afternoon, around 3 o’clock, over in his work, as the result of an accident – and we believe in the providence of God, we can’t do anything else – as a result of that accident, Stephen saw the King. Faith gave way to sight. Not when his family expected it to, not when he probably expected it to, but it did, and he saw the King.”
That faith – as well as his smile, his laughter and all that made him the remarkable young man that he was – had been so well encapsulated in verse earlier in the funeral service by Stephen’s sister Rachel, poignant yet perfect in every way..
“Twenty-two years was not enough,
Not nearly long enough to stay.
For someone with a smile so bright
And laughter that could brighten any day.
You had the kindest, widest smile,
The sort that reached your eyes,
And your contagious laugh could fill a room,
And brighten anyone’s life.
You were my little brother,
But somehow, so much more,
A part of me, a piece of us,
A love I can’t ignore.
For just the four of us were here,
Mum, Dad, Stephen and me,
Our little family, our perfect four,
The way it was meant to be.
And Stephen, you were everything,
And more than I could ask.
The very best a sister could have,
My brother, a friend, and constant laugh.
You worked with pride in all that you did,
With standards high and true.
You gave your best, without complaint,
In everything you do.
Good enough was never quite a phrase that suited you,
You took such care in every task,
And saw each project through.
And then there was your flute,
A passion you held with pride,
With Drumderg and your brothers there,
You loved being by their side.
We’ll always remember the tin whistle,
Which suited perfectly fair,
Had certainly given us enough patience,
In learning how much noise we could bear.
But you took to it with dedication,
And learned every tune with care,
Practising diligently until you knew
Every note was there.
He loved the ranks, he loved the band,
The brotherhood you knew,
And every tune you learned so well
Became a part of you.
And then you found the love of your life,
Your beautiful fiancée too.
And watching how deeply you loved her was so special to us all.
She wasn’t simply the girl you loved,
She became a sister to me,
And in loving her you gave us a bigger family.
We’ll always be grateful, Stephen, for the love that you two shared.
For the happiness she brought to you,
And the memories you made together there.
I was so proud of you to watch you
Help Mark with the silage too,
Your brother-in-law to be,
And the hard work that you could do.
You handled tractor and trailer
With a confidence all your own,
So capable and so dependable,
You made it look so easy as you drove along.
Although there may have been, perhaps, one gate post in your way,
But only one that we know of, and we’ll not talk about that today.
Those were the simple moments,
That we never thought we’d lose.
But they’re the memories that we’ll treasure now
Because they were so very you.
You had a way of making life
Look easier than it seemed,
With capable hands and a willing heart,
Even more than we had dreamed.
Twenty-two is far too young to say that life is through,
Far too young for goodbye,
Far too soon to lose you.
But there is something stronger
Than the sadness that we bear.
The greatest comfort in our grief is knowing that where you are.
For you were ready, you were prepared
And you knew the Saviour’s call.
You accepted Christ the Saviour,
And trusted Him with your all.
And although our hearts are broken,
We can hold this promise true,
That you are safe within the arms of Jesus,
And one day we’ll meet with you.
And what a day of rejoicing
That glorious day will be,
When the separation ends at last,
And you’re standing there with me.
No more tears and no more sorrow.
No more parting, no more pain.
Just the joy of being together
And never losing you again.
Until that day, we’ll speak your name.
We’ll laugh at stories old.
We’ll remember every little thing that made you ours to hold.
We’ll hear your laugh in memories.
We’ll see your smiling photographs,
And every time we miss you most,
We’ll remember all the laughs.
Twnety-two years may seem too short,
But what a life you gave,
A life filled with love and laughter
And a Saviour strong to save.
So rest now, Stephen, safe with Him.
Your earthly race is done.
And though we wish you could have stayed,
We know you’ve safely won.
You’ll always be our Stephen.
Our son, our brother, our friend.
And although this earthly chapter, has reached this painful end,
Your story isn’t over.
It continues in the love of every heart you touched on earth,
And in the heaven up above.
So until we meet in glory,
I’ll carry you with me.
My little brother, my best memories,
My perfect family.
Forever loved, forever missed,
Forever our Stephen, forever our Sparkles.
Forever 22.”
After the funeral service, Stephen was laid to rest at Lisburn New Cemetery Blaris Extension.
To Stephen’s parents, Alistair and Denise, his sister Rachel and her fiancé Mark, grandparents, David and Mildred and Robert and Olive, his fiancée Rachel and her parents, Mark and Deborah, her brother Luke and sisters Rebekah and Eliza, and the wider family circle, we offer our deepest sympathy at this most difficult of times.
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