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Robert Marr: Former Dundee pharmacy owner, musician and preacher dies at 85

In the 1980s he become owner of Macalpine Pharmacy in Dundee where he worked until his retiral in 1997.

Former Dundee pharmacist Robert Marr has died.
Former Dundee pharmacist Robert Marr has died.

Robert Marr, who spent his working life in community pharmacy in Tayside and Fife, has died aged 85.

The greater part of his career was spent running Macalpine Pharmacy in Dundee where he was a central and respected figure in the community.

A lay preacher and church organist, Robert and his wife, Sheila, moved to Arbroath in their retirement.

Robert was brought up in St Monans where his father was a fisherman.

He was educated at Waid Academy, Anstruther, and went to study pharmacy at Dundee School of Pharmacy in Bell Street.

His year of practical training was completed at Boots in St Andrews after which he moved to one of the firm’s busiest stores in London which was open 24 hours, seven days a week.

Marriage

It had been while at college Robert met Sheila Cook of Montrose, a student nurse, and they married in 1962, going on to have Alan, an industrial chemist, and Fiona, manager of a GP practice.

After his marriage, Robert worked in pharmacies in Fife and Angus and in the early 1970s the family settled in Dundee where he worked as superintendent pharmacist with the Forbes Johnston Group.

Around this time Robert was appointed to the board of Wallacetown health centre pharmacy where he served as secretary until his retiral.

He was also a member of the area pharmaceutical committee for more than 20 years, a body that oversees pharmaceutical services throughout Tayside.

Business life

In the early 1980s Robert became proprietor of Macalpine Pharmacy, Dundee, where his dedication, kindness and service to the local community was so much appreciated until he retired in 1997.

As a boy, Robert had a love for music and he achieved a silver medal from London College of Music aged 13. Although this was for piano, he transitioned to the pipe organ, and at only 15 took up his first appointment as a church organist.

Throughout his life he spent most Sundays playing church organs including at Abbey Church, Arbroath, Scoonie Kirk, Leven, and Craigiebank Church, Dundee.

On holidays in later life he would research places he and Sheila visited, and, if a town or city had a church or cathedral with a famous instrument, he would visit and often be offered the opportunity to play it.

Faith

A committed Christian all his life, Robert was also a much sought-after lay preacher across Angus, Dundee and Fife, and regularly combined the roles of organist and preacher at meetings and services.

He also had a lifelong passion for photography. He regularly took part in local competitions and had many photographs published in The Courier over the years.

Sheila, a practice nurse, and Robert retired to Arbroath, where they were both very much part of the community.

They travelled extensively and loved spending more time with their four grandchildren and were delighted to welcome two great-grandchildren.

You can read the family’s announcement here.

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