On the day that Maria Righetti died, her fourth great-grandchild Luciano was born a packed funeral service in Millport was told, writes Drew Cochrane.

Maria, aged 89, who was the matriarch of the Scots-Italian family on the island, passed away at home while the latest addition to her dynasty arrived. Luciano - meaning 'light' in Italian - attended the Mass in Our Lady of Perpetual Succour RC Church, where scores of mourners had to stand throughout the hour-long service.

Canon Peter Magee said: "What a crowd. Only Maria Righetti could bring out so many people. Astonishingly, Luciano's timing of birth had Maria written all over it."

In a fulsome eulogy, provided by the family, Canon Magee said that Maria touched many heads and hearts in Millport and left behind son Raymond, whose family flew over from Canada, daughters Angela and Marina, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Millport Maria, as she was known, was born on October 24, 1934 to parents Betty and Tony Coia, living in Partick. Alongside her father, she served ice-cream from a barrow outside Kelvingrove Park.

She moved to the island when her family took over the famous Ritz Cafe from her aunt and uncle, Bella and Michael Valente. They created an art deco ambience, including one of the early jukeboxes. She became an English and commercial studies teacher, capable of taking shorthand at more than 200 words per minute.

She met her late husband Rino at the Casa D'Italia at Glasgow's Park Circus, and they married in October 1956, buying their first house in Tollcross for £250. Their children, Angela, Michael, Raymond and Marina, came along, while the family moved to Millport to help her dad run the Ritz.

They enjoyed holidays to their roots in Italy, before Rino died suddenly, in the prime of life, in 1983. Daughter Angela and her husband Luigi Giorgetti took over the cafe a few years later but further tragedy was to strike when son Michael died, having lived with Parkinson's disease.

Canon Magee said that Maria told him that losing her son was unjust. as a child should not predecease a parent. But "she never once blamed God", as she had a diamond core of her Catholic faith.

So hard-working was Maria that she was employed part-time with an estate agent until the age of 87, and also helped at the island tourist office, always with her matching earrings.

The service which had beautiful music, played and sung by husband and wife Chris and Aillie Kelly, was assisted by Father John Doran, who knew Maria, and a collection for Parkinson's Scotland raised £1,450. 

Mass was followed by interment at the island cemetery.