Club News

Norman Collins O.B.E

Norman Collins was educated at RBAI Belfast and went on to Queens University where he graduated in Civil Engineering.

While at Queens he joined the Army Corp and when war broke out he served in various areas.

His last posting was to Burma where he commanded a Regiment of Chindits.

At the end of the war he joined the British Legion and was heavily involved in it’s work. He achieved the rank of Colonel and had the honour of laying the wreath at the cenotaph each armistice Sunday in Lisburn.

He was a keen golfer and took a great interest in Lisburn Golf Club where he served as Captain and later as President.He became a trustee of the Club.

He was also a keen bridge player and with his wife Maud was a member of Lisburn Bridge Club.

Norman had a great sense of humour which he kept till the very end and when Blanche Wright(94) and myself visited him in the care centre a few weeks before his death he commented as we were leaving that he could see us both away before him.

Norman and his wife Maud were a devoted couple, and he missed her greatly after her death. They wer great friends of David and Blanche Wright. Many older Club members will remember David dressing as a Japanese visitors and speaking to the Club after the lunch.

He was so convincing that very few of the Club members including the President recognized him

These are just a few of the memories I have of a great Rotarian and person

Sam Creighton

Updated of Honorary members

to be updated

A tribute to Past President Brian Burke

Written by Gordon Hanna

He was often described as a well known local hairdresser but Brian Burke was much more than that.

To quote a popular TV advert Brian was exactly what it said on the tin – honest as the day is long and a man of integrity.

And behind a laid back facade was a fierce competitive streak. Not so much in Golf, a sport he played for the craic and fellowship with his fellow Rotarians, but in the world of hairdessing competition he played to win.

Brian was not always the friendly face of his salon in Castle Street where he took great delight in caring for his ‘ladies’.

He was an internationally acclaimed exponent of his chosen art. He could boast of citations across Europe, being highly acclaimed in London, Paris,Vienna and Milan.

In today’s world he would hailed as a  celebrity, a real star in his field. But he never blew his own trumpet preferring to hide his light under a bushel.

However there was no denying his artistry and this was recognised by his peers. Having been a member of a  Great Britain World Cup winning team, he was invited to become a Fellow of the Fellowship of Hair Artists of Great Britain. He was the first hairdresser from Ireland to be accorded this honour and remains the sole recipient.

Brian was as locals say a blow in from Omagh coming to Lisburn in the late sixties,under the influence of his lovely wife Edith who was Lisburn born and bred.

As his salon in Castle Street flourished, a second salon was opened on the Lisburn Road in Belfast and Edith,no mean exponent of the art in her own right managed this salon along with their daughter Gaenor.

Brian was always interested in public service and became an enthusiastic member of Lisburn Round Table in its heyday.

In 1984 he ‘graduated’ into the ranks of the Rotary Club of Lisburn but retained his links through the 41 Club an organisation for Round Tablers over the age of 40.

Brian was made to ‘measure’ for Rotary evidenced by his outstanding contribution spanning 27 years.He was enthusiastic in spreading the word of Rotary and it was mainly through his efforts during the 50th  year celebrations of the Rotary Club of Lisburn that  the new club of Lagan Valley got off the ground. In recognition of this he was elected as  an honorary member of the Lagan Valley Club.

His 100% attendance record since joining Rotary is a testament to his commitment. He was President of the Club in 1998/9 and  elected as a Paul Harris Fellow a few years later, for his services to Rotary

Brian fancied himself as a cook or perhaps a chef suits him better as Edith would testify. Not surprisingly then he was the life and soul of the Kitchen Club.

He was a man with definite views and was not afraid to express them.He had a wicked sense of humour, his witty interventions often raising a chuckle or two during Friday lunch meeting.

Above all Brian was a devoted family man. He loved Edith dearly and doted on his daughter Gaenor,although at times causing her to blush by referring to her as ‘my wee girl.

He spoke lovingly of sister Avril, proudly of his brothers John and Tom who live in Canada and who he would often ring at some unearthly hour, usually after hosting a gathering of friends.Nephew Brian and Elizabeth his niece were also frequently mentioned in dispatches.

Brian was a unique individual who will be sorely missed, not just as a fellow Rotarian but as a very good friend.

I am not convinced Brian would have approved of all this rambling as he always insisted a good speech was like a mini-skirt, short enough to arouse interest but long enough to cover the main points.

God bless you Brian and thanks for the memories