A prominent figure in the Dundee jute industry has died after a short illness.
James Merry was born in Broughty Ferry in 1931 and grew up in Dundee, attending Rockwell Primary School and Harris Academy.
After leaving school he worked briefly at Brown & Tawse Steelstock before two years of national service in Egypt.
Upon his return to Dundee, Mr Merry took his first steps in the local jute industry by joining J. Mackenzie Stewart & Co. Ltd as a trader in 1956.
He would stay with the company for 52 years. During his time there he would rise through the ranks, being promoted to director and then managing director before being appointed chairman in 1993.
Mr Merry’s work regularly took him to the far east, where he was a respected figure throughout the textile industry, particularly in Bangladesh and India.
Tributes have been received from there and from around the world. Mr Merry retired in 2008 upon the closure of the company.
He used his spare time to play at Panmure Golf Club. He had previously been a member at Alyth and Scotscraig, and was also an enthusiastic hillwalker, cyclist and gardener.
A great family man, Mr Merry is survived by his wife Judy, sons Stewart and Kenneth, daughter Rhona and seven grandchildren.