THE family of a beloved father, son and friend struggling to come to terms with his sudden death this month have had one repeated response to wellwishers: “Say a prayer.”

Clydebank turned out in force to bid goodbye to Dominic Brown, known as Dom, at a service at Our Holy Redeemer Church on Saturday.

An estimated 1,000 mourners packed every corner of the church while even more awaited outside ahead of a procession to North Dalnottar Cemetery.

Canon Gerard Tartaglia praised the faith of Dom’s family, including parents Margaret and Dom senior, at such a tragic time.

He told the congregation: “Margaret and Dom’s faith is a real example to us. Speaking to Dom [snr] the other day he said a lovely thing to me that I want to share with you.

“Many people have come to offer their condolences in these most tragic and impossible to understand circumstances and quite a few have, understandably, said to Dom they ‘don’t know what to say’.

“To which Dom has said in reply, ‘say a prayer’.

“What an act of faith. What a powerful message for each one of us today. Say a prayer for Dom.”

Dom was killed in an incident on August 5 in Clydebank.

Canon Tartaglia said: “We are not defined by what happens to us, or by what others do to us.

“We are not to be remembered by the actions of others; or the material things we acquire in life.

“These pass and mean nothing in comparison to what really counts in life: the experience of love, fulfilment, knowledge of beauty, life itself, encountering the divine.

“When we have these sublime experiences, we know we are truly alive and are in touch with the depth of reality.

“You, us, you are Dom’s family and friends, you are the people who loved him the most – caring for him, sharing your lives together, growing up in Braes Avenue and Brown Avenue, loving him and being loved in return by him.

“You know his weaknesses and flaws, you know his strengths and qualities.

“It is those intangible qualities that last, that define, that live on in the memory and in our hearts – the good and generous man, the fun-loving character who had the gift of making others laugh, the life and soul of a party, the one who loved to smile and joke.

“He may well have been a ‘Whitecrook escapee’, but he was never far away, and retained the warmth and genuine heartedness of this extraordinary community.”

The joiner took a “real pride” in the quality of his work and was a popular football player, having loaned his skills to Singer CFC, Duntocher Hibs, Kilbowie Union, St Joes and Goldenhill over the years.

But above all else, he was a loving dad and son.

A JustGiving charity page set up this month for Dom’s family collected nearly £7,000 and it was announced online that it would be placed in trust for his son, Dominic.

The hymns at the mass on Saturday were “I Watch the Sunrise Lighting the Sky”, “Give Me Joy in My Heart” and the prayer of St Francis, “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace”.

Scripture came from the book of Lamantations, first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians and from the Gospel of St John, where joining the sisters Martha and Mary, Jesus wept for Lazarus, their brother and his dear friend who had died, before raising him from the dead.

Two cantors sang Schubert’s Ave Maria accompanied by the parish organist as Dom was carried to the hearse.

Speaking to the Post after the service, Canon Tartaglia said: “It was a sombre but prayerful, hopeful and faith-filled mood, full of support and love for the bereaved family. The presence, concentration and participation of the huge congregation was, in itself, a great tribute.”

More than 200 family, friends and current and former players from Clydebank football teams attended the burial at North Dalnottar Cemetery.

Barry Mccolgan, for whom Dom played at Singer CFC, said: “Dom was given the best possible send off anyone could have wished for.”