former Angus man George Lackie Skea, who was well known in farming, horse breeding, Scottish country dancing, and funeral undertaking, has died peacefully at his home.
He was 94.
Mr Skea’s Clydesdale horses won numerous competitions and were an attraction at agricultural shows and gala days across Scotland.
Mr Skea was born in 1923 at Carsebank Farm Cottage at Rescobie, near Forfar.
One of six siblings, Mr Skea attended Oathlaw School until he was 14.
The family ran Leckaway Smithy in Kinettles, next to the Glamis Castle home of the Bowes Lyon family, where Mr Skea would often speak over the fence to the then Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret.
He worked as a message boy at Tannadice Estates and moved up to become driver for Major Neish before working with horses at Battledykes Farm.
In 1945 he won first prize at the Rescobie ploughing match.
He moved to Balquharn Farm in the Angus village of Fern as the foreman and tractorman and stayed there until moving to Cardross, Dunbartonshire.
He set up and played in his own Scottish country dance band, the Four Star Band, which was popular at weddings and dances.
Mr Skea married Peggy Timney in Clydebank on June 7 1947 and they moved to Fern where their first child, Kathleen, was born.
The family moved back to Cardross in 1950 and Mr Skea became head gardener and chauffeur at Moorepark House.
Peggy died in 1964 and Mr Skea remarried two years later, Sheila McLean being his second wife.
Mr Skea learned the undertaking trade with Wylie and Lochhead in the late 1960s and set up his own business in 1981, following a stint with animal feed firm Bells.
Sheila died in 1991.
Mr Skea is survived by children Kathleen, Jimmy, Eileen, Sheila and Tommy, 16 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.