Neil Sharp, former managing partner of Ernst & Young in Dundee, has died aged 87.
Neil Muir Sharp was born in 1934 in Broughty Ferry to John Stuart Cadenhead Sharp, OBE a deputy lieutenant of Angus, and his wife Dorothy Muir.
He was educated first at Dundee High School then preparatory school Cargilfield in Edinburgh before being evacuated with his school during the war to Lawyers, Perthshire.
Neil later completed his education at Glenalmond College, Perthshire.
National Service
He undertook National Service as a gunner in the Royal Artillery, serving in Hong Kong
after training in Aldershot then completing his service with spells in the UK and Germany.
After his service he joined the Territorial Army, rose to become a colonel
and saw service in Northern Ireland.
Neil succeeded George Mathieson as commanding officer of the Royal Artillery Battery in Arbroath and served as a deputy chairman of the Royal Artillery in Scotland.
Honoured
He was at one time the most senior Royal Artillery colonel in Scotland and was
awarded the MBE in 1975 for services to the TA.
Neil trained as a chartered accountant with Thomson Murdoch in Dundee and was then offered a partnership shortly after qualifying.
Management
The firm became part of the larger accountancy firm Arthur Young which in turn became Ernst & Young and Neil rose to become managing partner.
He was succeeded by Dugal Beedie of Montrose, who died in January aged 82.
Neil was also chairman of the local branch of the Institute of Directors, attending board
meetings in Edinburgh.
Royal and Ancient
When Neil retired from the TA he was invited to become a member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews where he served on a house committee.
He was a frequent player at St Andrews and also played at Turnberry where he achieved a hole in one.
He was a past captain of Letham Grange Golf Club and St Fillians, also appearing on a BBC programme, Learn to Play Better Golf, with Peter Alliss.
Order of St John
In 1982 he was also invited to join the local committee of the Order of St John and eventually, rising through the ranks became Receiver General and then a Knight of the Order of St John, working from St John’s House in Edinburgh.
Neil’s first marriage to Jean took place in 1960 and the couple had two daughters, Sarah and Heather.
In 1974 he married Muriel and had a daughter, Sally.