Wife’s touching tribute as janitor Stevie McGurn of Dundee dies at 61

Stephen McGurn, who worked as a janitor at five Angus primary schools, has died aged 61.

Over seven years he worked at Birkhill, Tealing, Liff, Strathmartine and Auchterhouse and it was a job he adored, his wife, Tracy, said.

“He was an old-fashioned jannie who got on great with the children and would come at Christmas laden with gifts,” she said.

“We have received an awful lot of tributes from people remembering Stevie since he passed away.”

Stephen, known as Stevie, was born in May 1962 to church caretaker Patrick McGurn and his wife Eileen.

He was one of four children and started life in Milnbank Road before moving to Finmore Place in Fintry where he grew up.

Stevie began his education at St Luke’s Primary School before moving on to Linlathen High School.

Career begins

He had a Saturday job working in a butcher’s shop and when he left school he got a job at Cantrell’s fish shop in Dundee. He then moved to Timpson’s shoe repairs before returning to fishmongery with Keracher’s.

Stevie worked there for 20 years and it was where he met Tracy who began work there after a spell in America.

Their first date was to the fish ladder in Pitlochry and the couple married in 1998.

After Stevie joined Angus Council, he and his team at Birkhill were nominated for a Tay Excellence Award.

Tracy said: “We were each other’s rocks in life and I loved Stevie so much. A kinder, more lovely man with such a sense of humour you could not meet.”

When he passed a homeless person in the street, Stevie would think nothing of handing them £10 or £20, said Tracy.

Poignant date

The couple were due to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary in September which Tracy said will be a particularly hard day.

Stevie was a great collector of gadgets. He had about 25 coffee-making machines and an electrical tool for all occasions.

Both Tracy and Stevie were great friends with their neighbours, Chris and Cheryl and their daughter, Sophie, and the families enjoyed many summer days out together.

Stevie’s funeral service took place at Dundee crematorium on Wednesday August 2.

You can read the family’s announcement here.