Jim Ritchie, a former Angus police officer, Scots Guardsman and Boys’ Brigade captain, has died aged 90.
When he retired from Tayside Police, Jim set up Thrums Tyres in Kirriemuir, served on the community council and helped organise the town’s annual Remembrance Day parade.
Jim was also heavily involved with the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, as an assessor, and secretary of the Tayside Wild Country Panel for many years.
Supportive
His wife, Pat, said he particularly enjoyed encouraging young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to participate in the scheme.
“For them, taking part was a huge opportunity and it really was the whole ethos of the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. Jim was in his element in the hills,” said Pat.
James Jolly Ritchie was born on October 22, 1932 at Damside of Dun near Montrose, the son of farmworker James Ritchie and his wife Jane.
His entire education took place at Farnell although he did win a bursary to attend Montrose Academy.
Apprenticeship
Jim left school at 15, served his time as a stonemason then was called up for National Service with The Black Watch at Fort George and transferred to the Scots Guards, rose to Lance Sergeant and served in Malaya, Cyprus, Kenya and the Canal Zone.
When he left the Scots Guards, Jim joined Angus Constabulary, serving as a beat constable in Forfar, Kirriemuir then Arbroath.
He finished his time as a sergeant in Montrose and retired in 1984 when the force had become Tayside Police.
Jim had first met his future wife, Pat, during the 1960s when he has served a spell as a PT instructor at Tulliallan Police College where she was a trainee.
Marriage
They met again years later while serving in Arbroath and married in 1976 at the West Church in Forfar.
Jim had three of a family; Elaine, Dewar and Niall and grandchildren Claire, Ryan, Aimee, Alexander and Andrew, and a great-grandson, Charlie.
Although he had been brought up in the Scouts, as member of St Margaret’s, Arbroath, he was invited to become captain of the 2nd Arbroath Company The Boys’ Brigade by minister George Rollo.
Jim and Pat moved to Kirriemuir in 1989 and he later took over the captaincy of the 1st Kirriemuir Company and served as vice-president of Angus and Dundee Battalion The Boys’ Brigade.
School board
During the 1990s he served on Kirriemuir Community Council and was the first chairman of Webster’s High School board.
Pat said: “Jim was immensely proud of his service in the Scots Guards and was past chairman of Dundee and Angus Branch of the the Scots Guards Association.
“He was a DIY enthusiast who built his own garage and did a computer course to help him keep abreast of technology.
“Jim had been involved in Kirrie Thistle FC during its early days and also loved walking his golden lab, Bruar, his fourth.”
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