Retired Kirriemuir newsagent and former fire station officer Willie Nicoll has died aged 75.
Together with his wife Ann, he ran M&J Forrest and built it into one of the town’s busiest shops.
At its peak it employed 11 paperboys and girls delivering around the town six days a week.
The couple expanded the business by selling toys, greeting cards, soft fruit and honey.
In later years they bought the flower shop next to the newsagent, which they ran successfully for eight years.
Willie was born in Kirriemuir, the son of Catherine and Norman, a farmer who owned Strathvale.
Marriage
Willie met his future wife, Ann, at the Marine Ballroom in Arbroath and they married at St Margaret’s Church Arbroath, in 1967. They went on to have two of a family: Kathryn and Billy.
In 1972 he became a successful rep for Supermarket Merchandisers selling goods up and down the country.
Willie and Ann used their savings and bought M&J Forrest in Kirriemuir in 1974.
They decided to keep the name due to the long history of the business.
The couple developed the business considerably and ran it for the next 30 years.
Fire service
Willie joined Kirriemuir retained fire brigade in 1977 and retired when he was 55 in 2002 after serving three years as station officer.
Among the highlights of his service was becoming Scottish champions in the Fire Officers’ Association retained technical quiz, and being part of team fighting the Morgan Academy fire in Dundee in 2001.
Willie also had a number of hobbies which more often than not turned into small enterprises of their own. In the 1980s he owned 80 hives of bees, moving them to the hills for heather honey every year.
In the 1990s he farmed high-quality strawberries and raspberries at his property, Northmains Croft, Logie, and sold them to local supermarkets and shops including his own.
During his retirement he created a new business buying antiques and collectables from local auctions and selling online all over the world.
Willie and a few of his close friends were known as the A-team in Kirrie as no job was too difficult, be it building, moving or demolishing using the variety of diggers, forklifts and tractors at their disposal.
He also continued his interest in classic cars as a member of Strathmore Vintage Vehicle Club and Tayside Classic Car Club.
Willie passed peacefully at Ninewells Hospital on Monday January 23. His funeral service will be held at Kirriemuir cemetery extension at 1.45pm on, Friday February 3.
You can read the family’s announcement here.
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