Family members have been remembering Allan Henderson after the avid traveller, engineer and keen athlete passed away at the age of 72.
The loving father, grandfather and former owner of The Gift Horse in Broughty Ferry was born in Dundee on February 7 1952 as the only child of Grace and Andy Henderson.
He was raised in Lochee and attended Liff Road Primary School, before moving onto Harris Academy.
School life didn’t appeal to Allan and at the age of 15 he left to start an engineering apprenticeship at Logan Engineering on Gray Street, Lochee.
He excelled in mathematics and physics, gaining entry to the BSc Mechanical Engineering course at Bell Street ‘Tech’, which is now Abertay University.
Allan graduated with a first-class honours and was the first person to achieve this on the course for four years.
He even represented the college at the City and Guilds Degree Ceremony in London, where he was presented to the then Prince of Wales, who is now King Charles III.
In July 1970 Allan married Sheila, who would be his wife of 54 years.
Engineering career leads to global adventures
Allan’s professional engineering career began at British Aerospace (BAE) in Wharton, Lancashire.
After two years at BAE he was recruited by Boeing. Allan and Sheila moved to Seattle in 1980 as he took up the role of a contract stress engineer.
This was only the first of a series of overseas contract jobs at some of the world’s foremost aircraft manufacturers.
Allan and Shelia welcomed the birth of their daughter, Amy, on March 30, 1981 followed by their son, Graeme, on December 2, 1982.
Allan’s young family accompanied him across the globe for the best part of the next decade from the USA to Europe, Israel and South Africa.
He was a Chartered Engineer, member of the Royal Aeronautical Society and a qualified European Engineer.
But Allan’s hometown was calling and in 1989 the family relocated to Dundee, where they still had strong family ties.
Allan continued to work abroad for a few years, while Sheila, Amy and Graeme settled back into life in the city.
In 1994 Allan took over the Gift Horse shop on Gray Street in Broughty Ferry.
He ran the shop for several years and opened a second shop in St Andrews.
A return to his previous profession was calling though and Allan bought Climatic Engineering Services in 2002.
He successfully ran the Glenrothes-based company until it was sold in 2013.
‘Quiet determination’
The Dundonian was also a keen athlete, running dozens of 10K races and half marathons.
Allan also completed four marathons, including the London Marathon.
A dodgy knee eventually forced him to retire from running.
But he took up cycling with the same quiet determination that was a benchmark of his life.
Allan racked up the miles on his bike every week, taking part in a number of races and events.
He also tackled the windy roads of Lanzarote once or twice every year as an alternative to his regular Sunday rides with his friends from the Abertay Rotary Club.
And he could be found regularly riding the roads in the Carse of Gowrie or heading to Arbroath depending on the wind direction.
Allan also seized the opportunity to help others through his cycling and running exploits, raising thousands of pounds for Alzheimer’s charities.
His last event was the Pitlochry Etape in May.
This involved riding a hilly 85-mile loop of Highland Perthshire in little over six hours, using the event to raise money for his chosen charity of MacMillan Cancer Care.
Visiting all seven continents in retirement
When Allan and Shelia’s children left home, the couple travelled extensively and spent their retirement exploring all seven continents.
His skill and enthusiasm for photography means that his family now has a precious record of these trips.
The 72-year-old will be sadly missed by his wife Shelia, his children Amy and Graeme, and his grandchildren Charlie, Rory, Harry, Amber and Bethany.
Allan was surrounded by his loving family when he passed away suddenly, but peacefully, at Roxburghe House on Friday August 30.
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