haunting Scottish lament, "The Flowers of the Forest'', on the bagpipes. Most often played at funerals and memorial occasions, thousands of Bermudians would have heard him during Rememberance Day ceremonies at the Cenotaph.

The words were written by Jane Elliott some 250 years ago. Her life spanned the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion, which ended in the defeat by the Crown forces of Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) and the Highlanders at the Battle of Culloden. The "flowers'' were the soldiers killed in that battle.

True to his Scottish heritage, Denis fought every one of life's battles successfully until the last one against severe illness that included heart disease and cancer. He conceded final defeat only after fighting it heroically for many years.

Born in 1925, he was only four years old when his family emigrated to Bermuda.

His parents were Charles Macintosh Stuart and his wife, Evangeline. Charles was a marine engineer for most of his life and had served on the Pacific Orient Line.

While still a teenager, Denis volunteered to serve overseas in the British Army during the Second World War and, before he was 19, he was facing the Germans on the Western Front.

Denis was a "throwback'', as those of us of Scottish ancestry, with deep feelings for Scotland, are often called.

His son, Keith, the family historian, has traced their Scottish forebears back to the 17th Century Town of Montrose in the Country of Forfarshire, on the East Coast of Scotland. They had been seafarers for generations. About 200 years ago, his branch emigrated to Sunderland in Northeast England, where they continued their association with the sea. Denis was born in Sunderland.

He received his education, as have thousands of Bermudians, at Mount St. Agnes Academy, an experience that undoubtedly did much to mold his character, and lifelong appreciation of discipline and the need to strive for excellence in everything he undertook.

On leaving school, he was employed by the Bermuda Electric Light Company.

Apart from the years of his war service, he remained with Belco until retirement in 1990. He became a cost accountant, responsible for costing and clearing through Customs all the Company's extensive imports of fuel and merchandise.

Intensely patriotic, he became part of Belco's security guard before he was old enough, at 18, to be called up for the army. He joined the Bermuda Volunteer Engineers. From that point in his life, events moved quickly.

A call for volunteers to serve overseas came from Military Headquarters in Bermuda. He volunteered immediately and, a few months later, in April, 1944, was part of the 86-man strong Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps Second Contingent.

They joined the 4th Battalion of The Royal Lincolnshire Regiment in England.

Two extended periods of illness prevented Denis from leaving with the 4th Battalion for France. He was then posted to the 58th Northamptonshire Regiment, followed by a period in the 4/5th Battalion of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry for intensive training.

He served with the 2nd Northampton Regiment (or "Steelbacks'', as they were popularly known) where his duties chiefly dealt with prisoners-of-war. When he joined the DCLI, he recalled that the move from regular infantry to light infantry was not easy, as the light infantry marched at such a quick pace, undoubtedly a holdover from the days of pre-motorised transport when special troops had to advance in a hurry.

Eventually, he was back with the 4th Lincolns, and advanced with them into Germany, capturing substantially more POWs. He learned to speak German and, being able to type, assisted in the completion of POW documents.

Denis completed his military service as a member of the guard at Spandau Prison in Berlin where all the top Nazis, including Rudolph Hess, were confined.

Like many of us returning from overseas, Denis Stuart had to work at two jobs in an effort to catch up. His second was as the featured piper in full Highland regalia, and male model, in the successful "Holiday Island Fashions'' show presented nightly at hotels and special occasions by Elspeth and Don Gibson. His son Keith also had a leading role. Over the years they took part in thousands of these shows.

In 1955, Denis and his close friend, Captain Arthur Card, Commandant of the Bermuda Cadet Corps, organised the Bermuda Cadet Pipe Band (forerunner of the present Bermuda Pipe Ban a few months ago. Denis Stuart, as Pipe-Mayor, taught all the pipers to play. So well did they succeed that the following year the band was invited to lead the War Veterans in their annual march to and from the Cenotaph on November 11. It was a remarkable accomplishment.

In 1978, in recognition of his outstanding service to the Band and to Bermuda, Denis was honoured with the award of the prestigious Member of the British Empire decoration from the Queen at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace. The Queen and Prince Philip signed the citation.

Other honours coming his way included playing for the Queen during her stay at Government House, and accompanying Sir Edwin Leather on a promotional tour to Canada.

His wife, the former Edith Harris, played a vital role in all of these activities, and lovingly nursed and cared for Denis during the long 15 final years of his life.

Denis has sometimes been described as a hard, yet fair and honest taskmaster.

He had a low tolerance level for inefficiency and slackness, and was never slow to say so -- an approach, I am told, that was not always looked upon favourably. But no-one ever accused him of holding a grudge. As soon as things were put right he was quick to smile and make up. Keith says that his father, in the role of pipe-major, never at any time tried to push himself into the limelight. With him the Band always came first.

At the time of his death, Denis and Edith had been married 53 years. They had four children: Charles David, who died tragically 20 years ago in an accident at sea; Keith, still a key member of the Bermuda Pipe Band; Bruce, the well known and highly acclaimed artist; and a daughter, Lesley (Tucker) who added to the family's Scottish traditions by becoming a Highland dancer.

Denis' hobbies were reading, stamp collecting and, of course, his beloved bagpipes.

He was a member of the Bermuda Caledonian Society, and their official piper for many years. He was a member of the BVRC Overseas Association and never missed a reunion until he became too ill to attend, even so, latterly, he would make the effort to come all the way to Warwick Camp for the reunion, even though he could stay and share only a few minutes with his comrades before returning home. He was also a member of the Bermuda War Veterans Association.

On the afternoon Denis left us, the sun caught the brilliant colours of the immaculately dressed Bermuda Pipe Band assembled on the hill above his grave at St. John's Church. They played a final moving tribute to their founder and friend.

Tommy Aitchison War years: Denis Stuart RELIGION REL