Famous fan who died at 101 taken on emotional last lap of beloved Irish League ground
The cortege left his late home, via the football club for a final lap of Lakeview Park, before moving on to St Aidan's Parish Church, Grange for the funeral service.
Mr Willis had been a lifelong supporter at Loughgall FC, serving various roles.
The club paid tribute, saying: 'No words are enough to describe this man who gave a life-long service to Loughgall Football Club and was known right across the Northern Ireland Football League
'Hilbert served the club in countless roles including chairman, vice-chairman, director, groundsman and indeed also a lifelong supporter, where until recently where his health deteriorated he would barely ever have missed a Loughgall game
'Hilbert has done and seen it all at Loughgall, we are in awe of the great man he was and will always have found memories of his stories.'
Mr Willis lived all of his life in Loughgall bar nine months in Holywood after his parents moved there when he was a young man.
In a previous interview with the Belfast Telegraph, he recalled becoming involved in football in the village 'from I was knee high…' before going on to become an important figure in the history of Loughgall, who were formed in 1967.
In 2021 and aged 97, he completed a near year-long challenge of walking 100 times around Lakeview Park.
Inspired by the fundraising efforts of Captain Sir Tom Moore in England, who raised £39m for NHS charities walking 100 lengths of his garden, Mr Willis did his laps of honour in aid of Loughgall FC who were suffering financially during Covid-19.
He saw the club promoted to the Premiership in 2023.
After defying the odds to comfortably stay up in their first season back in the top flight, the Villagers were relegated in May.
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