Robert Baillie – sadly missed

Robert Baillie – sadly missed

We are sad to report the passing of Robert Baillie, who died on 14 April 2021 at the age of 63.

Robert, who liked to be called Bob by people who knew him well, was a well-known face in Tranent.  With a ready smile and a loving heart, he was a popular person in the town which became his home.

ELCAP’s vision is that everyone, no matter what their individual support needs, is able to live to their full potential and be an active and valued member of our community.  Robert more than lived up to that ambition.

Robert enjoyed nothing more than attending Orcadia Creative Learning Centre.  His exhilaration was tangible when he was there.  When Robert threw his hands in the air and shouted in excitement, everyone knew he was having the best of times.

A keen football fan, Robert’s favourite team was his local one, Tranent Juniors.  He would shout for The Belters, willing them to score the goals that would send players and supporters home happy from Foresters Park.

Robert loved tractors and all manner of loud engines.  He had a passion for trucks, as his father was a truck driver.  Robert would shout out to let his support staff know when a truck was passing.  Before lockdown, he enjoyed seeing the shiny new tractors at the Royal Highland Show and the bright paintwork and chrome of the lorries at Truckfest.

Robert was a big music fan.  He enjoyed the songs of ABBA, while Kylie Minogue was his guilty pleasure.  It was therefore fitting that the Swedish superstars and the Australian songbird featured prominently on the playlist at his funeral service, which was held at Gladsmuir Church on 5 May 2021.

While Robert enjoyed pop music, he was a rocker at heart.  AC/DC and Ram Jam were just two of the head-banging heavies which appealed to him.

Beyond rock and pop, Robert took time to listen to the traditional music of Scotland.  He was a regular attendee at the practice nights of Tranent and District Pipe Band, held at The Fraser Centre.  Robert was always made welcome by band members and centre staff.

Robert came from a large and supportive family and shared his home with his sisters, Bella and Wilma, whom he loved dearly.  A bit of a joker with everyone, Robert especially liked to have a cheeky laugh with his sisters.

The ELCAP colleagues who worked with Robert have paid the warmest tributes to him, noting their good fortune and pleasure in supporting him.  Robert enjoyed every day, regardless of the challenges his disabilities presented.  His Support Practitioners remember “his lovely smile that would light up a room and his positive outlook on life.”

Robert is sadly missed by all who knew and loved him.  But he is forever in their hearts.

Thanks to Caroline Tierney, Elaine Main, Gary Traill, Helen Ramsey, Rosemary McKay and Vicky Begbie for their dedicated support for Robert and for sharing their memories of him.