Moira Thomson dies after a short illness

All who knew Moira Thomson will be completely shocked at the sad news of her death this morning at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh. It is literally only short months since she was competing in the Scottish Seniors at Portpatrick in early July with no thought that she would have any kind of threat to her health. Her family and friends who visited her in hospital can have had no idea that her recently diagnosed illness would have claimed her quite so quickly. Our thoughts and condolences are with her husband Alastair and her family.

It is impossible to know what Moira was going through in these last weeks, but she faced all of it with the most incredible courage and patience and without a word of self-pity. Is it always difficult for visitors to know what to say in situations such as this where the diagnosis is known, but Moira would take control and make it so easy for those who arrived at her hospital bed. Conversation would never stick around the laughter over shared memories.

Moira won the Scottish Girls, in her youth and was a strong team player in both the Midlothian and East Lothian county teams over several decades. However since becoming a senior lady golfer possibly her best years were to come. She was selected year in, year out, to play for the Scottish Vets and also to represent Scotland in the Senior Home International team. Two years ago Moira was a member of the successful team which won at Newport in Wales (first and only time), and in 2010 as a member of team to win the European Senior Team Championship in Berlin, a most stupendous achievement. This was one of her very best performances and one of which she could be justly proud.

The East Vets have lost a truly great player and friend.