James Watt, a former army sergeant who went on to have a long career with publisher DC Thomson, has died aged 87.
He joined the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers when the Suez Crisis began and spent three years with the Gurkhas in Malaysia where he rose through the ranks.
After he returned to civilian life, James, known as Jim, began work in Lamb’s garage in Dundee.
However, on a night out with his future wife, Joan, he was recalled by the army and told to join a boat heading back to the Suez area.
The ship never sailed and after a number of false alarms, Jim was allowed to return to Dundee.
Early life
He was born in November 1934 and brought up in Lochee. Jim’s parents were Martin and Mary Watt and he had two brothers, Martin and Alan.
Jim was educated at St Mary’s Primary School, Lochee, and St John’s High School and started his working life in a grocery business in South Road, making up orders and then jumping on the bus to deliver the packages.
His next career move was to Dundee Corporation buses, first as a conductor and then as a driver.
Marriage
In 1959, Jim and Joan married at St Andrew’s Parish Church, Dundee, and went on to have three of a family, Jillian, Derek and Steve.
After Jim’s army career and his spell working at Lamb’s garage, he joined DC Thomson’s book-binding department at its West Ward Works.
He had more than 30 years’ service with the publisher and retired in 1999.
Golf
Outside work, Jim was a very keen golfer, playing at Caird Park, St Andrews and Camperdown, where he continued to hone his skills, even after the course was closed.
He was also a keen follower of football and had refereed in the Midlands Amateurs and Sunday Boys’ Leagues in his younger years.
Although never a supporter of any particular senior team, he started to lean towards Dundee United after taking his son, Derek, to the 1974 Scottish Cup final between United and Celtic.
Football
Derek became an avid United supporter and thereafter, Jim started to look out for the Tangerines’ scores.
Jim and Joan enjoyed many holidays, with a York a particular favourite, and took great pleasure in family runs in the car.
He was a proud grandad of 10 and great-grandad of five.
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