"CD"- a celebration of his life

"You'll see CD when you're cruising the streets. He'll be looking down and saying - "I'm still with you."


MOURNERS who packed Wick St Fergus Church for the celebration of road accident victim, Christoper Durrand’s life, heard heartfelt tributes to him as a loving son, a dear friend...a good mate.
It wasn't long before his abiding passion...cars, came to the fore.
That was clear from a very early age when he was never far from his dad’s business, Oldwick Garage in Roxburgh Road. Christopher, or CD as he was affectionately known, could work a hydraulic ramp from the tender age of six...and it wasn’t just a youngster’s play thing...he knew how to work it. When he was sent home from school feeling unwell, he always managed to call by the garage before going home.
Father, George Durrand, the congregation heard, wanted his son, his official foreman, to learn the non-mechanical side of the business, fielding phone calls from customers, ordering spare parts, and dealing with invoices, as part of his training to equip him for the day he would inherit the business. It was no use...all the teenager was interested in was cars.
There was humour as well as heartache, as it was recalled that Christopher, who died when his beloved car crashed near Bower, earlier this month, was not particularly tidy at home. However, it was a different story when it came to his car....it was as clean as a whistle. In fact, a young lady, one of a group given a life home one night, did nothing to ensure her chance of further lifts. She left the remains of a bag of chips in CD’s cherished car with its personalised number plate. It wasn’t unknown for Christopher to take the seats of the vehicle out to ensure it remained spotless.
There were tributes from friends –one in a poem- and a family member described Christopher as “10 years ahead of his time”.
He said that Christopher and his “cheeky smile” would not be forgotten and that when friends were cruising the streets, CD, whom he described as ‘a star’, would be looking down from the sky saying-“I am still with you, mind!”
The service was conducted by St Fergus minister, John Nugent and lay preacher, Heather Stewart who said they would cherish CD’s memory.
She said that it was difficult for people, at such sad times, to know what to say, but sometimes their presence, their companionship, indicated much more than words.
Rev Nugent said that CD was a man who took advantage of the opportunities he had and had decided from a very early age, that cars would be his life. He had the opportunity as he grew up to learn about cars and “ate, slept and breathed” them.
CD, the congregation was told, was a committed young man who based his life on the things that mattered, loyalty to his family and friends and time for others. On Facebook it was said you could call him CD taxis because he never saw his friends stuck for a lift.
Rev Nugent continued:” Stevie’s life was such, that he made an impact with everyone he came into contact and, the fact that so many of you were lucky enough to have known him, and the fact you are here with us, not only to pay your own respects but also to support the family, is proof positive that, like CD, there are young people in this town you can be proud of. The impact of CD’s loss is immeasureable...the memories of his life are greater still. They blunt the pain of loss.”
Rev Nugent quoted some of the comments on CD’s Facebook page. One mirrored a widely-held feeling: “Just can’t take it in, man”.
Following the service CD was laid to rest at Wick cemetery. Family and friend held a memorial cruise on Sunday.
* Passenger Graham Sutherland, who was injured in the crash, is reported to be making good progress at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.