Bill Sharpe (1932-2011) 

Bill Sharpe was a long-serving member and past Pipe Major of our band. He succumbed to cancer on 26 Mar 2011 and will be sorely missed by the band and his family and friends. Our condolences go out to his wife, Nessie, and his family.

"Bill was born the eldest of five children to William and Mary Sharpe at Campbell Street Lochie, Dundee, Scotland on 7 May 1932. Bill has two brothers, George and James, and two sisters, Charlotte and Mary. Bill completed his schooling at Ancrum Road and then on to Rockwell Secondary where he excelled and won a scholarship to university. Unfortunately, he turned it down to take on employment to help his parents bring up the younger children.

Until age 18, Bill was an active member of the Boys Brigade where he first played bagpipes. It was at the age of 14 that he took up the pipes under the tutelage of Angus McLeod. He was a member of McLeod, Invergowrie, the National Cash Register, and Army Bands before leaving Dundee.

Through the pipe bands, Bill met Nessie in 1950.  As part of the band crowd attending Scot's country dancing, ceilidh, and band competitions, they got to know each other well before love bloomed. They married on 16 May 1953.  Unfortunately, due to Bill's national service, they spent most of the first two years of their married life apart with him leaving 1 week after the wedding.

Bill spent most of his national service in Egypt and the family always said he must have got his licence there by riding a camel because he wasn't the best driver in the world.

Their first daughter, Heather was born in 1958, followed a wee while later by Moira and then Elaine. Bill and Nessie decided that, to give the kids the best chance in life, they would leave Scotland.  After considering South Africa and Canada, they settled on Australia.

The family left Dundee in January 1963 and landed in Australia, settling first in Bundaberg where Bill worked as a turner at the Bundaberg Rum distillery.  He became a member of the Bundaberg Caledonian Pipe Band.

Relocating to Brisbane in November that year, Alison, the last of the clan to join, was born.  Bill worked in various jobs in Brisbane, retiring from Dalzell and Bagley Engineering in 1998. During this time, he was a member of the Red Hackles, QLD Irish, North Coast, and Brisbane Clans Pipe Bands. Over the years, he taught many young pipers. Sharing with them his love of the Bagpipes."

Bill was a long-serving member of the Brisbane Clans Pipe Band, serving as Pipe Major for several of those years.  He stood down as Pipe Major in 2007 but continued to play with the band. In 2010, due to problematic eye-sight that made it very difficult to drive at night to band practice, Bill retired from the band.

In November of the same year, he was diagnosed with lung cancer, the disease he succumbed to on 26 Mar 2011.

The band continues to play several pipe tunes that were composed by Bill.

(Text taken largely from the eulogy put together by Bill's family and read at his funeral)

Rest in Peace, Bill.