Simon Hamilton - head of Haemophilia NI and competitive rower - remembered as a devout Christian filled with zeal ahead of funeral on Friday following his death at 63

Simon Hamilton, the chairman of Haemophilia NI, died in Antrim hospital on Christmas Day, aged 63.

His minister, Rev Roland Watt of Killymurris Presbyterian Church in mid-Antrim, has offered his own warm recollections of him ahead of his funeral in the church at 1pm tomorrow.

Rev Watt said that he had remained very active and that his death had been unexpected, with him having led a church service just eight days before passing away.

He described Mr Hamilton as “our friend, brother in Christ, and elder”, who had held the latter position since roughly 2011, and said that his death was a cause of “heartfelt grief”.

• ‘SIMON WAS WELL AWARE OF LIFE’S BREVITY’ •

“By God’s grace, Simon has loved and served us faithfully in Killymurris, in so many ways, and he will be so deeply missed,” said Rev Watt.

“Simon was a dedicated elder and took a great interest in visiting members of his district. He often brought words of encouragement and challenge to the many lives he impacted.

"As Sunday school superintendent and Bible class leader, he was supported by his wife Olive and a team of teachers.

"Simon’s passion and enthusiasm for youth work was infectious. Whether through the Bible class or the church youth group ‘LiveWire’, he earned great respect from the young people.

“His strong Christian faith was central to every aspect of his life. His aim was to glorify and enjoy God each day. He lived life to the full, with joy and zeal, and used his musical talents in a variety of ways, including singing in the church choir.

"Simon recently led the Christmas morning carol service on Sunday, December 17, with all the young folk involved. He encouraged the children and parents and all the congregation to shine for Jesus everyday in this dark world.

“Simon was very aware of the brevity of life and the importance of having peace with God to be ready whenever our time comes to depart this life. His life is an example to us all to fully rely on the grace of God."

He added: “But we sorrow not as those without hope. Christ is our hope in life, and in death.”

The funeral will be livestreamed on the Killymurris YouTube Channel.

The Seven Towers Male Voice Choir will be leading the praise, and members of the Bann Rowing Club will form a guard of honour.

In 2019, as chairman of Haemophilia NI, he had given evidence to the Infected Blood Enquiry, recounting how he became infected with hep-C.

• TWO BLOOD INFECTIONS TO COPE WITH •

Haemophilia is a largely inherited disorder which means that people’s blood struggles to clot properly. It is not curable.

Hep-C meanwhile is an infectious disease that damages the liver. It can be cured.

Mr Hamilton was an avid sports fan through much of his life, but contact sports were a problem: the haemophilia led to bleeding in his joints and made him vulnerable to injury.

At some point in his younger days he “received synthetic blood products which I now know were contaminated”, which led to him being diagnosed in the mid-90s with Hep C, he told the Infected Blood Inquiry.

This led to his gallbladder being removed, and later developing liver cirrhosis a decade ago.

He told the inquiry in 2019: “I live my life on a basis of six months at a time, as I have tests every six months to check whether or not I have cancer on my liver.

"The hospital has given me reassurance that I will be eligible for a liver transplant until the age of 70. This is one of the main reasons why | try and keep myself so fit and active.

"After that if I develop cancer they have given me no hope of a transplant...

"In all honesty, | feel as though the way people have died from this contaminated blood, it’s like a game of Russian roulette. I find myself getting more and more upset as the years go on.”

The same year he gave that testimony, he competed in the World Rowing Masters Regatta in Budapest, representing Bann Rowing Club.

Mr Hamilton has a son, Ethan, an identical twin brother Nigel, and another brother, Linley.

After the funeral, Mr Hamilton will be buried in Killymurris churchyard.