A well known Burns speaker, poet, and historian, John Millar, has passed away after a short illness, aged 92.

John was born in Ardeer Square, Stevenson, and started his career as an apprentice professional golfer at the old Ardeer golf club before the war, with his great plan to become a club professional.

Son John said: "My dad blames Hitler for the loss of a career. In those days, you didn't just teach golf or play, you learned how to repair the golf clubs too. However, war broke out, and he served as a regimental sergeant major in the Gordons.

"When he came back from his role in the North Africa and Italian campaigns, he also served in Palestine, his job was waiting for him but with the same wages as seven years earlier, and he was about to get married, thus ended his dream as a club pro."

John worked at ICI both in Ardeer and Birmingham, Morrison's Bakery in Stevenston, and was one of the first employees at Hunterston as a health physics foreman. From there, John went on to run The Royal Oak bar in Largs.

John was happily married to Una, who pre-deceased him, with three daughters and a son - Ann, Eunice, Marilyn and John. He had five grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

Both John and Una had The Green Tree bed and breakfast in Fairlie for a short period. His favourite golf course was Routenburn Golf Course, and he was good friends with the late Bob Torrance.

A huge Burnsian, John was made a life member of the Largs Cronies, and was well known throughout the district for speaking at Burns Suppers.

John was particularly proud of his Lithuanian bloodline, and wrote a successful book 'The Lithuanians in Scotland' which tells the story about how the Lithuanians settled in this part of Scotland, in Lanarkshire and Edinburgh, and how the Lithuanian language was preserved. The book is now in The University of Vilnius and is part of the curriculum. For his works, he became the oldest recipient of the Winston Churchill medal which he received from The Duke of Kent at Guildhall, London. Each year approximately 100 British citizens are awarded Fellowships for a wide range of projects.

Freedom fighter John’s father, Vincentas Stepsis (b.1870), was a Lithuanian freedom fighter, who smuggled banned books and newspapers across the border with East Prussia, defying the Imperial Russian authorities in 1899.

John's other book was In the Shadow of Dynamite, about the impact that Alfred Nobel's explosive factory had on the community of Ardeer.

He also wrote his memoirs about World War 2. Son John said: "He was a reluctant conscript, a pacifist all his days, although a decorated war hero."

John also wrote a publication about the history of the Fife boatyard in Fairlie.

The keen historian did a lot of work in genealogy in the North Ayrshire Heritage Centre in Saltcoats, and helped many families trace their history, and became an expert, receiving contact from people all over the world attempting to trace their ancestors.

John also contributed many poems to the 'News' over the years, from serious matters such as independence, to light-hearted local humour.

Since his 80th year, John has celebrated his birthday each year by holding a party with family and friends in The George bar in Largs.

To people's astonishment, John refused to join the worldwide web, and never had an e-mail address, and instead did all his research through books, documents and interviews. John was also a passionate Kilmarnock and Scotland football supporter. In his final years, John lived in Irvine.

John's funeral takes place at Dreghorn Crematorium at 3pm on Monday 23 November.