Family and friends of an Angus man will pay tribute in a weekend memorial service after he lost a decade-long battle with cancer in his adopted homeland of Costa Rica.
The parents of 46-year-old Bank of America executive Ian Horsburgh are awaiting the arrival in Scotland of their son’s ashes after the father-of-two’s death earlier this month.
A service celebrating the life of Forfar Academy-educated Ian will take place on Sunday in Aberlemno Church, near the Horsburgh family home at Turin which he left after finding love in the central American country.
Mr Horsburgh is survived by his Costa Rican wife Alba, children Mellisa, 17, and Ian, 12, and his parents George and Aileen.
His mother said he had bravely fought the cancer which was diagnosed 10 years ago, and remembered fondly the family’s last visit to Angus.
“He had a big improvement from his illness and the family all came home in 2013,” said Mrs Horsburgh.
“It was the first time the children had been in Scotland and they thought it was beautiful here.
“It was a wonderful summer and the best holiday they could have wished for.”
Mr Horsburgh went to Pitkennedy Primary and then Forfar Academy before joining the Royal Pioneer Corps and it was while stationed in Belize that he and a friend travelled to Costa Rica.
“He met Alba there and when he returned home he actually tossed a coin on whether to stay here or return to Costa Rica to be with her,” said Mrs Horsburgh.
The family lived in a suburb of the nation’s capital San Jose, where Ian was an assistant vice-president unit manager with the Bank of America.
“He had been working up until around Christmas,” added his mother.
“He died in the early hours of the morning at the beginning of this month and his funeral service took place later that day and was attended by hundreds of people.”
The church service celebrating his life will take place on Sunday at 2.30pm.