Strathaven pensioner dies in road accident

Apr 14 2011 by Sandra Walls, Hamilton Advertiser

A FAMILY have been left heartbroken after the death of their 73-year-old father from injuries sustained in a road accident in Strathaven.

Joseph Young Lister, of Glasgow Road, Strathaven, lost his fight for life at Hairmyres Hospital just hours the accident close to his home.

Joseph, known as Joe, was a chronic asthmatic and was driving back from the Breath Easy Club in East Kilbride, which he had attended for the last few years, when the accident happened on March 30.

It was just before 3.45pm when his Nissan Tilda collided with a farm delivery truck loaded with hay bales.

The driver of the lorry gave emergency first aid treatment to Mr Lister before paramedics arrived.

Mr Lister was taken to Hairmyres Hospital in a critical condition. He had sustained major injuries to his chest and lungs and had broken ribs and breast bone.

Police informed the family of the accident and drove Mr Lister’s daughter Janice and her two brothers John and Cameron to Hairmyres Hospital where they met up with Janice’s daughter Dionne and the rest of the family.

Janice said she and Dionne were able to hold Mr Lister’s hand just before he had an MRI scan.

“At one point he squeezed our hands and that gave us a bit of hope,” she added.

However, just hours later his condition worsened and the family took the heart-wrenching decision to have the ventilator turned off. He passed away just after 11pm.

Janice told the Advertiser: “I can’t believe this has happened.

“We have heard about fatalities on that stretch of road before and always said that we couldn’t cope if that happened to us.

“But here we are going through this tragedy and feel just numb.

“Our brother Tom died in 1999 in a hit and run car accident, when he was out walking in Strathaven.

“The driver of that car never came forward and was never caught by police.”

Mr Lister’s wife Rebecca, died 10 years ago.

Janice added: “After mum died, dad just used to appear and come in and out as he pleased.

“He was great fun and used to play and get a bit of banter going with the kids.

“He was also very independent and did all his own washing and ironing and house work, everything was perfect.”

Joe, a plumbing and heating engineer, was a family man, and lived his life for his family.

He was never able to do National Service due to his asthma, which his sister and mother also suffered.

He was a keen gardener and had just finished planting the bedding plants for his summer garden, plants he had grown from seedlings.

Mr Lister was much loved by daughter Janice, sons John and Cameron and grand-children Dionne, Nicola, Jamie, Gavin, Christine, Shona, Samantha and Cameron.

His funeral took place last Friday, April 8 in Strathaven’s East Church attended by family and friends.

The funeral cortege then made its way to Strathaven Cemetery where his family said a poignant goodbye and friends paid their last respects, before he was laid to rest in the family plot beside Rebecca and Tom.

A report on the accident has been sent to the procurator fiscal.