Memories of John Mcdonald
7th April 1932 – 1st August 2016
Born in April 1932 as an only child, John was no stranger to hard work. He did a milk round in his hometown of Buckhaven before school and also delivered papers both in the morning and in the evening. Twice a week he also collected fish from the railway station for the local chip shop.
After leaving school, John worked on the railways as a signalman. In 1955 he changed career and joined Fife Constabulary although he never forgot the railways, enthusiastically travelling all over the UK and Europe by train if he could.
As a policeman he worked in Fife and rose to the rank of Inspector, retiring in 1988 after 33 years of service. One of his proudest moments was when he represented Fife Constabulary at the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Celebrations in London and former part of the Guard of Honour. Was his canny Fife smile perhaps the reason that the Queen stopped and spoke to him?
John was, in his younger days, an enthusiastic cyclist, touring Scotland and England with his friends during his summer holidays. His love of travel brought him to Canada many times and also to New Zealand. In Toronto a waiter once asked him what language he spoke. When John replied “English”, the waiter’s response was “Well, not very well”. Well, the Fife accent…..
John’s other great love was Scottish music and he first met the late Sir Jimmy Shand in 1956 while stationed in Newport on Tay. Their friendship blossomed when Jimmy Shand moved to Auchtermuchty in 1957. When Eamonn Andrews presented Jimmy Shand with the ‘This Is Your Life’ book, John was one of the guests featured in the programme. Jimmy Shand also wrote and published the tune called John McDonald’s March and John was an active member of the fund-raising committee, which commissioned the well-known commemorative statue of Sir Jimmy in Muchty.
John visited many Clubs, and was often seen playing his ‘moothie’ informally in bands and groups. John was a regular attendee and the Secretary of Wndygates Accordion and Fiddle Club and in May this year was given an Honorary Life Membership during their annual Shand Morino Day by the Provost of Fife.
John had been diagnosed with cancer. He passed away peacefully in Victoria Hospital while his friend Bruce Lindsay Snr. played The Rowan Tree by his bedside.
John wrote this poem which was read at his funeral :-
If your heart is heavy now, because I have gone away,
Dwell not long on it, my friend, as none of us can stay.
But those of you who liked me, I sincerely thank you all,
And those of you who loved me, I thank you most of all.
In my generous lifetime, as time went rushing by,
I found some time to hesitate, laugh, love and cry.
It matters not if time began, if time will never cease,
I was there, I used it all and saw it all, and now I am at peace.
Box and Fiddle
October 2016
After leaving school, John worked on the railways as a signalman. In 1955 he changed career and joined Fife Constabulary although he never forgot the railways, enthusiastically travelling all over the UK and Europe by train if he could.
As a policeman he worked in Fife and rose to the rank of Inspector, retiring in 1988 after 33 years of service. One of his proudest moments was when he represented Fife Constabulary at the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Celebrations in London and former part of the Guard of Honour. Was his canny Fife smile perhaps the reason that the Queen stopped and spoke to him?
John was, in his younger days, an enthusiastic cyclist, touring Scotland and England with his friends during his summer holidays. His love of travel brought him to Canada many times and also to New Zealand. In Toronto a waiter once asked him what language he spoke. When John replied “English”, the waiter’s response was “Well, not very well”. Well, the Fife accent…..
John’s other great love was Scottish music and he first met the late Sir Jimmy Shand in 1956 while stationed in Newport on Tay. Their friendship blossomed when Jimmy Shand moved to Auchtermuchty in 1957. When Eamonn Andrews presented Jimmy Shand with the ‘This Is Your Life’ book, John was one of the guests featured in the programme. Jimmy Shand also wrote and published the tune called John McDonald’s March and John was an active member of the fund-raising committee, which commissioned the well-known commemorative statue of Sir Jimmy in Muchty.
John visited many Clubs, and was often seen playing his ‘moothie’ informally in bands and groups. John was a regular attendee and the Secretary of Wndygates Accordion and Fiddle Club and in May this year was given an Honorary Life Membership during their annual Shand Morino Day by the Provost of Fife.
John had been diagnosed with cancer. He passed away peacefully in Victoria Hospital while his friend Bruce Lindsay Snr. played The Rowan Tree by his bedside.
John wrote this poem which was read at his funeral :-
If your heart is heavy now, because I have gone away,
Dwell not long on it, my friend, as none of us can stay.
But those of you who liked me, I sincerely thank you all,
And those of you who loved me, I thank you most of all.
In my generous lifetime, as time went rushing by,
I found some time to hesitate, laugh, love and cry.
It matters not if time began, if time will never cease,
I was there, I used it all and saw it all, and now I am at peace.
Box and Fiddle
October 2016