Andrew Smith, who spent decades behind the camera at public events in Cupar, has died aged 88.
As a freelance Press photographer and contributor to The Courier and the Fife weeklies, Andrew went out nightly to record awards ceremonies, cheque presentations and school events.
He developed and printed his photographs at home and would then put them in orange packets and send them by train to Dundee.
At weekends he was a wedding photographer and his son, Iain, says he still meets couples who his dad photographed on their memorable day.
Scouting
Andrew also devoted a large part of his life to the Scout movement. He began as a Scout member, progressed to become District Scout Leader and was honoured for 25 years’ service.
He was born in August 1934 and was brought up in Ladybank by his grandparents John and Mary Ann Smith.
His grandfather ran a fruiterer business in the village and Andrew was educated first in Ladybank and then at Bell Baxter High School in Cupar.
At the age of five he contracted TB and spent time at Glenlomond Hospital, Kinross, the sanitorium for Fife and Kinross-shire.
The condition affected his hip and he was left with one leg shorter than the other. This required long spells over a two-year period at the Princess Margaret Rose Hospital in Edinburgh to have his leg pinned and lengthened.
Andrew began his working life as an apprentice shoemaker and repairer at Dundee Equitable Boot Company’s outlet in Crieff.
He lived in digs in the town but made frequent visits home to Ladybank where he met his future wife, Alexandra Brown, who was involved in the Girl Guides.
They married in 1958, had two sons, Iain and Alasdair, and separated in 1985.
After his apprenticeship was completed, Andrew returned to Fife to work in a shoe business in Cupar owned by Jimmy Reid and later Eddie Gilchrist.
However, in 1965 he had a change of career and joined the South of Scotland Electricity Board as a meter fixer working in houses, factories and commercial premises.
In 1989 he underwent a double heart-bypass operation at Glasgow Royal Infirmary but recovered sufficiently to return to work and retired from the electricity board in 1998 aged 63.
Iain said: “Throughout his working life he went out in the evenings to do Press work and he told us later this is what paid for our holidays when we were young.
“He was there to record so many events and celebrations in the life of Cupar and district over many years.”
Andrew loved motoring, was devoted to the Audi brand and went on countless caravan holiday across Britain. He also travelled widely to places such as Turkey, Malta and Canada, however, he never made it to Iceland, a country he had a fascination for.
Iain said: “Myself and my brother have been discussing going to Iceland to do something in his memory. We have not finalised what just yet but it is something we would like to do.”
You can read the family’s announcement here.