A memorial service for a Tayside man who was known as the “buggy master” at Open golf championships across four decades will take place this week.
George Brown from Carmyllie in Angus died of a brain haemorrhage after he collapsed in the garden of his holiday home in Florida earlier this year. He was 71.
The memorial service will take place on Thursday just days after this year’s Open champion Rory McIlroy was crowned at the Meadowbank Inn in Montrose Road, Arbroath, at noon.
Mr Brown was well known in golfing circles, having worked behind the scenes at the Open Championship for 36 years.
As well as helping to erect fencing and spectator stands, Mr Brown was in charge of issuing golf carts to various companies and would repair them if they broke down.
“At the end of the tournament he would gather them all in to be taken away,” said his daughter Lesley.
“Unfortunately they were not all easy to find they were often found in bunkers, hedges and one was found several miles away on a high street.”
Upon his retiral two years ago, he was given one of the Royal and Ancient’s top honours.
“He was presented with a silver salver which was the same as the one the tournament’s runner-up receives,” explained Lesley.
“It was a great surprise to him and quite an honour, of which he was very proud.
“The funny thing was he didn’t even like golf according to him it was a waste of a good walk. He would talk to all the famous golfers not even knowing who half of them were saying things like, ‘Oh, that’s who Tiger Woods is I was speaking to him yesterday.’
“He had many friends from many circles and always had a smile and would make people laugh.”
Mr Brown fell from the second rung of a ladder at his home in Florida on April 21 and died two days later at Orlando Regional Medical Center, surrounded by his wife Doreen, children Lesley, Jill and Douglas and his four grandchildren.
Mr Brown was born in Dundee in 1942 and attended Harris Academy.
Upon leaving school he attended Elmwood Agricultural College in Cupar while also working with his father on the family pig farm Drummygar at Carmyllie.
He met Doreen when he was a teenager and they married in June 1963.
He drove for several Dundee firms a short spell with NCR, then Johnston & Paton before joining Briggs which became Tarmac and then Nynas. He retired in 2002 after 29 years with the company.
In the 1970s he went to Brittany to represent Scotland in a tug o’ war competition and did so for the next 10 years with his friend Bert Paton. He also pulled tug o’ war for Leitfie in Alyth and played rugby for NCR & Stobswell.
The family have made a request that no sombre clothing be worn to the service, which is intended as a celebration of Mr Brown’s life.