A THREE Towns family have paid tribute to their beloved sister and mother after being distressed by a misunderstanding with her memorial.

Heather Gilfillan was just 62-years-old when she died of lung cancer having only been diagnosed two weeks previously.

Her sister, Hazel Kyle, said: “She was taken too soon, loved by everybody, she knew everybody, the church was packed because it was such a shock.”

Heather had six children and was a much-loved grandmother too. She was laid to rest at Ardrossan Cemetery in 2017 with her grave marked with a temporary wooden memorial.

The family had lost their brother just weeks before and then tragically lost their mother last year.

Having arranged for a headstone to replace the cross, Heather’s son found the temporary memorial still at the graveside.

Unfortunately, there was no access to the area where there is a skip to dispose of the temporary wooden crosses, and so he left it by the gate hoping it would be spotted and disposed of properly.

Hazel said: “The council said they had left it there to see if someone would claim it.”

A passer-by took a photo of the memorial, shocked to see it apparently abandoned and hoping to notify the family.

The Herald contacted the council who said it had been removed from the graveside but then left by the stonemason – this was not the case.

When Heather’s family saw the article published in May 27’s edition of the Herald they were deeply distressed.

Hazel said: “It looks like we had stuffed my sister behind the bin.

“It was very upsetting.”

Hazel said she could understand why the passer-by had been shocked to find the memorial where it was, but she was disappointed the blame had been laid at the stonemasons.

She said: “It was not the stonemason, that’s the main thing. They have been excellent

“And the person who took the photo will be upset too.

“It’s very distressing.”

Hazel said she wished the council had tracked back from the name on the memorial to find the family and contact them instead of leaving it there.

She said: “I would have been shocked if I had seen a memorial left like that.

“Heather did anything for anybody.

“She was helping my mother through my brother’s death and we didn’t know she was going to be taken two weeks later with cancer herself.

“It has been one thing after the other.”

The Herald published a clarification and apology for any distress caused by the initial report.