Largs & Millport Weekly News | News | In memory of Donald Grant

Monday, 13th October, 2008

Published: Wednesday, 14th November, 2007 14:45

In memory of Donald Grant

There was a huge turn out to say goodbye to the larger than life character of Donald Grant at Greenock Crematorium last Thursday afternoon.

The service, conducted by Andrew McGurk, and included remininsces from Reverend Sandy McCallum, heard how Donald lived life to the full and lived a varied and colourful life.

Donald was born 67 years ago in Dennistoun in Glasgow as the family evacuated to Largs during the war. They liked it so much that the family came back to Largs in the 1950s via Stevenston.

When he left school, he had various jobs around the town including a milk boy with Ross’s Dairies, and served an apprenticeship with Frasers Garage, before taking up various jobs at Lundie and Scotts Garage, a paper mill, Hunterston and even considered one of the £10 assisted packages to Australia but decided against it after having a dreadful experience on a stormy ferry crossing to Skye.

Donald married Nancy and then there was a period of Donald’s life when he was anywhere and everywhere including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Germany, lots of bar work - and bar management.

In 1971, Donald was married to Mary and moved to the paper shop before there was Donald’s Lounge Bar in Largs and then worked in Kirkintilloch in the Golf Club, and also Port Bannatyne. and then there was a more settled time in Donald’s life when working all over with Shearings for 12/13 years. Donald loved his bowling at Fairlie. He loved football and was a committee man at Largs Thistle where the club held a one minute’s round of applause in his memory on Saturday, and was a supporter of Largs Colts. He was an actor and singer in Largs Players and Operatic.

Donald will be remembered as a socialite and loved company. He was involved with Alcoholics Anonymous and Gamblers Anonymous and would speak at top table from personal experience.

The service concluded with the service singing “One Day at a Time” and the music “Joe Knows How to Live” by Graham Lyle.

The service heard that Donald was a people person and thoughts and prayers went to Donald and Guilda, Jade and Jasmine, Beth and Eddie, Amy and Grace, Connie and Alan, John and Alison, Russell, Michael and Hannah, Danny, Neilson and Lewis, and the wider Grant family.