David Halley obituary: Retired newspaper circulation executive and motor enthusiast of Carnoustie

David Halley, a retired DC Thomson circulation executive, has died aged 77.

He joined the company in the mid 1970s and retired in 2007. David’s father, also David, had been dispatch manager at the company’s Meadowside headquarters in Dundee.

David, whose mother was Annie (Nan), was born in Dundee and grew up with sisters, the late Margaret, Anne and Shona.

He began his education at Dens Road primary school before the family moved to newly-built Fintry where he attended Linlathen High School.

Always mechanically minded, when David left school he began work with the Gestetner duplicating machine company based then in Whitehall Crescent before it moved to Blackscroft.

He had hoped to train in machine maintenance and repair but his employers saw him as ideal to represent the company as part of its sales force.

Newspaper career begins

He spent around six years with the firm before joining DC Thomson’s circulation department in Dundee.

Shortly afterwards, he was transferred to the Edinburgh office where a greater part of his work was co-ordinating Sunday Post deliveries from Waverley station on Saturday nights.

He had met his future wife, Liz Watt of Carnoustie, at the Marine Ballroom in Arbroath in 1966. They married at Carnoustie Newton Church the same year and went on to have two of a family, Christine and Shona.

After his posting to Edinburgh, David returned to work in the circulation department in Dundee but the onset of multiple sclerosis persuaded him to take early retirement.

Projects

Despite his diagnosis, David spent a productive life. He built a garage complete with service pit which enabled him to restore cars. He was also able to rebuild and recondition vehicle engines and undertook many DIY projects around his home.

David and Liz, who spent most of their married life living in Carnoustie, celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 2016.

The couple were grandparents to Darren, Jordan and Caitlyn, and great-grandparents to Eilidh, Thea, Alba and the late Rory.

You can read the family’s announcement here.