By Valerie Martin

Copyright northernirelandworld

Mr Milne passed away on Sunday at his home in Banbridge. Milne Funeral Services’ shared the news of his passing on social media. “With extremely heavy hearts we share the tragic news of Ian’s passing. He has many friends and we are so sorry we couldn’t speak personally to more of you. “Ian Ferguson Milne 28th September 2025 suddenly at home Banbridge. “Funeral arrangements later. “Very deeply regretted and sadly missed by the entire family. “What a friend we have in Jesus,” the post read. The family-owned Milne Funeral Services, which was established in 2000, had funeral homes in Portadown, Lurgan and Banbridge. There has been an outpouring of sympathy and grief following the news of Mr Milne’s sudden passing, with more than 1,000 people posting condolences online already. Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart MP was among the many who expressed deep sadness. “This afternoon, at 4:10pm, I received what would be the final message from Ian Milne. Over the weekend, I had spoken with Ian on three occasions as he so selflessly assisted families in navigating their own grief. “Little did we know these would be our last conversations,” she said. “My heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the Milne family, as they now face the journey of loss that Ian himself so often helped others through. “IIan was widely known, always a gentleman, and a source of great encouragement to me personally. He poured his heart and soul into his business, and his passing will come as a profound shock to many. “This serves as a poignant reminder that life is but a vapour, and that only what is done for Christ will endure. “This is a devastating loss for Ian’s family and for the wider local community.” Councillor Julie Flaherty added: “So very sorry to see this. “An absolute gentleman, so many memories I have of him as far back as in Cookstown all those years ago…he was a great source of help and advice to me when I was working on the Childrems funeral Fund NI – many meetings we had in the LM parlour yrs ago with clergy from all denominations which no one knew of. “The care you all demonstrated to my family at times of loss cannot be described- but so many in our community will know of the same care and empathy.. with his own little wicked humour sometimes.” Hundreds of people shared how Mr Milne had been a great source of comfort to their families during times of grief. One woman said: “So deeply shocked and saddened to hear of Ian’s passing. A man whose presence in this community was marked by compassion and dignity, he walked beside families during their darkest days — including mine — easing burdens with a gentle word, a steady hand, and a respect that went far beyond duty.” Another person added: “What an absolute gentleman, who helped our family through a very difficult time, with professionalism and humour that helped guide us and gave us spirit when needed, a huge figure in the community that will be sadly missed, thinking about his family during this difficult time.”