THE SKIRL of the pipes sounded yesterdayas family, friends and colleagues paidtribute to a Fife man murdered by terrorists in Algeria.
Kenny Whiteside (59), originally from Glenrothes, was one of four people shot dead by Islamist militants after being taken hostage at the In Amenas gas plant on January 18. He had worked there as a planning manager for five years.
Mr Whiteside lived in Johannesburg with his wife Catherine and daughters Alana (27) and Nova (25).
His family were at KirkcaldyCrematorium for the funeral.
Around 300 people attended the service, including other Scots hostages who survivedthe attack.
Civil celebrant Denis Madden said Mr Whiteside was “fearless and fantastic”.
“Here was a man who was good at his job, sought after, well-known, well-liked, and well-respected in the workplace and who will be sorely missed by so many people,” he said.
“But we are gathered here because Kenny was taken from our midst, just while going about his duty taken by men who knew nothing of the warmth, the love, the peace, that this man brought to his family and all who knew him.
“It is absolutely heart-breaking for Catherine, Alana and Nova. But while this man lives on with love, he will simply never die.”
Mr Madden said Mr Whiteside was a self-taught piper who played at functions in South Africa.
He was also an “avid supporter” of Raith Rovers for more than 30 years and would phone Scotland from “obscure places” to find out how the team had fared.
Mr Madden revealed to mourners that Mr Whiteside, a keen runner and squash player, had drawn up a “bucket list” of things he wanted to do in his lifetime.
“A big part of that bucket list was seeing places. His friends christened him ‘thewanderer’. He went off to see places like Cuba, Portugal, Madrid, Prague, Dubai, and he was planning on Vietnam this year.”
The coffin was carried into the crematorium draped in a saltire and the flag of South Africa.
A poem written by his daughters, entitled To Our Dad, was read out. It ended: “God has you in His keeping we have you in our heart.”
malexander@thecourier.co.uk