Marie Curie charity walk for Elgin dad 'taken far too young'
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AN ELGIN family has raised £800 for Marie Curie with a sponsored walk for their late dad.
William Stobo, from Elgin, died from cancer in June this year at the age of 54.
Throughout his final days, nurses from Marie Curie visited him four times a day to provide vital care.
Eldest daughter Lynzi Stobo (13), who attends Elgin High School, had the idea for a sponsored walk from Elgin to Lossiemouth to remember her dad and celebrate Marie Curie's work.
Lynzi's gran Barbara Reid said: "Lynzi knew it was Marie Curie who went in and nursed her dad.
"And it was her idea to do a sponsored walk to give back to them.
"She really took it bad, losing him and was always with him."
Lynzi completed the walk on October 9, joined by siblings Kelsey (11) and Lexi, who is two-and-a-half, along with grandad Robert Reid and mum Fiona Sim.
Raising a remarkable £800, the siblings handed the money to Marie Curie treasurer Alan Marshall at a spot along the route of their walk.
William attended New Elgin Primary and then Elgin High.
After leaving school, he went to work for Robertson's, staying with the building firm for 26 years.
For the last 11 years of his life he worked for Scotia Homes.
His cancer journey began after he found a lump on his leg, before being diagnosed a week later and being given just four months to live.
Mrs Reid said: "It was right through him when they found it.
"William and his partner Fiona were going to get married before he passed away, because they had been together for 21 years.
"But he deteriorated so fast that it never happened."
Above all, though, Mrs Reid said William would be happy to see what his daughters had achieved in raising cash for Marie Curie.
She said: "I gathered them together and said: 'Your dad would be looking down on you all.'
"I thought they did him very proud doing that walk.
"It was such a sad loss for them and he was my only one too.
"Everybody has been proud of them and have been so nice, ken, in sponsoring it and supporting his memory.
"It was just a really good thing to do for charity."
William was commemorated earlier this year at a well-attended service at W G Catto on Linkwood Road.
A huge Rangers fan, he didn't want hymns but asked folk to come wearing blue.
Mrs Reid said: "William was taken from us far too young and we all miss him very much.
"However, the one good thing is that he didn't suffer.
"He was a good dad who loved his girls.
"I just want to thank everybody for all they have done to help the kids through the loss of their dad.
"Thank you to everybody that has helped the girls go along, helped them with the walk, sponsored them all and everything else."
