Beryl Dingwall, who spent many years as part of the expat community in India before starting a successful ladies fashion shop in Broughty Ferry, has died aged 102.
Together with her husband Norman, who rose to become chairman of English Electric in India, Beryl was based first in Calcutta before a move to Delhi.
On her return to Broughty Ferry she became heavily involved with Grove FP and the Calcutta Mofussil Society, which brings together those in the Dundee area who had lived and worked in India.
Beryl was born in Barnhill in December 1919, one of five children of Kathleen and Stanley Goodfellow.
Her father was an electrical salesman who worked in the Angus area.
After education at Eastern Primary School, Broughty Ferry, she went on to attend Grove Academy.
Career begins
When she left school, Beryl trained as a secretary and worked in offices in Dundee.
During the course of her work she met her future husband, Norman, an electrical engineer.
The couple married at St Margaret’s Church, Broughty Ferry, in 1939 and went on to have two of a family, Sandra and Fiona.
When the Second World War broke out, Norman went to work in Worcester, testing aircraft engines.
At the end of the war, Norman took a job with English Electric in Calcutta where the family lived until 1960.
Beryl’s daughter, Fiona Freshwater, said there was a huge expat community in the city and surrounding area, many of them Dundee people working in jute or other Scots working in banking.
They enjoyed an active social life in Calcutta, mixing with fellow Scots and others from the British Isles.
Between 1960 and 1969, the family were based in Delhi which had a more international mix of expats.
The family then returned to Broughty Ferry and Norman began work with Marconi before establishing himself as consultant electrical engineer. He also served as chairman of Broughty Ferry Community Council.
In 1972, Beryl and her lifelong friend, Jean Duncan, opened Flair, a ladies clothing shop in Brook Street.
They ran it for 10 years before selling the business to Pat Caird, whose family had run the Caird department store in Reform Street in Dundee.
Beryl became a member of Broughty Traders, Calcutta Mofussil Society and attended Grove FP lunches until recent years.
Both she and Norman, who died 23 years ago, were members of St Margaret’s Church where Beryl was heavily involved in the floral art displays.
A keen bridge player, Beryl, who had five grandchildren and eight great grandchildren, had lived at Tigh-Na-Muirn retirement home for the last few years.
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