Culloden congregation remembers their good friend who left the church £250,000
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An old soldier who left his Inverness church a generous bequest that cleared its debt and helped build the new chapel house, has had stained glass windows installed in his memory and that of his sister.
Former parishioner John Drew, late of Lochlann Avenue, in Culloden, bequeathed £250,000 to St Columba’s RC Church in Culloden.
Dover-born John served in the Army in the latter years of WWII – lying about his age in order to join said parish priest Father Domenico Zanré.
He served first in the Royal East Kent Regiment, (the Buffs) then transferred to the Royal Engineers. After his Army career, John worked with Sealink at the docks.
He would often come up to Inverness to visit a cousin and in 1989 moved to Culloden with his sister Millie who he cared for until her death.
Three new stained glass windows were commissioned at the church in his memory and that of Millie, who was a long term resident of Cradlehall Care Home. She pre-deceased John who died in 2018, aged 91, by about two months.
Father Domenico said: "John looked after Millie for some 40 years, with a level of care and devotion that was quite simply outstanding. People would see him standing at the bus stop on Tower Road, Culloden to catch the bus to Cradlehall Care Home to have breakfast with Millie.
“I once spoke to him about the tremendous support that he gave to his sister, and he simply replied 'Well, Father, it's my duty, isn't it?'"
Father Domenico said when he came to the church in 2015 the debt was £265,000 but he managed to reduce it to £199,000 by 2018.
He added: "About a year later I was contacted out of the blue by a solicitor in Glasgow saying the church had been left £250,000 by John.
"I just about fell off my chair! It gave us a considerable amount of money which we put in the fabric fund.
"We always wanted to do something for John as an old soldier and such a strong supporter of the church and thought stained glass windows would be appropriate for him and Millie.
“He was a regular attender at St Columba’s where he considered the congregation as his extended family.”
It is understood the money came mostly from the sale of the Drews' house.
Three new stained glass windows were commissioned from local artist Paul Haringman from the Netherlands, but has lived with his family in Westhill, Inverness since 2010.
