Golf fanatic, grandfather and man of faith, Stewart McDonald, latterly of Findhorn, has died aged 74.
Aberdeen born
Alistair ‘Stewart’ McDonald was born in Aberdeen on May 11 1948, the first child of secondary school PE teacher Maureen, and Alistair, a chemical engineer for Davidson’s Paper Mill.
He was joined by his younger sister Anne in 1950.
Stewart attended Convent of the Sacred Heart and St Peter’s Primary Schools, however, also spent time in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) while his father worked abroad.
The ‘crazy boys’
On returning to Scotland the family lived on Anderson Drive and Stewart enrolled at Robert Gordon’s School. There he played rugby but an early diagnosis of asthma meant he had to prioritise swimming on doctor’s orders.
He and his friends, the self-named crazy boys, would visit the Bon Accord pool. Desperate for more action than simply swimming lengths, they would do simultaneous jumps off the high diving board.
Despite this wild side to Stewart, he had serious ambition to become a doctor. He began medical school at Robert Gordon University but after a year realised it wasn’t for him.
Finding love
A move into the world of business followed, starting in the accounts department of oil and gas exploration company Cebo but still enjoyed nights out in the Gordonian Rugby Club, and over the years would enjoy many reunion dinners.
In 1972 Stewart met Eleanor Susan Wilson from Findhorn. A student at Aberdeen Domestic Science College, she was invited to a party where, in the queue for the bathroom, Eleanor confidently walked past Stewart to nab his place in the line.
A first argument led to love and by the following year the young couple were married in Findhorn Church of Scotland.
Sunnier climes
Stewart progressed in his career becoming a manager and he and Eleanor started a family. Gary was born in October 1975, followed by Bruce in December 1977.
Advancing to ‘base manager’, Stewart and Ellie took their young family from Ellon to Shetland in 1980 where Cebo had a site. Stewart loved his job and especially the opportunities it brought to entertain clients on various golf courses.
In 1982 the family relocated again this time to Cairo. While in Egypt, with his two small boys, he relived his antics in the pool, this time earning himself a new nickname: The Hulk.
Bruce said: “Not because of his size, but because of his strength. He would spend time at the Mena House swimming pool throwing Gary and I, plus many of our friends, as far has he could into the pool. Other dads did attempt to do the same but no one else was able to match ‘The Hulk’.”
Return to the UK
Wanting a more settled life for the children, the McDonalds returned to the UK, when Stewart took a role for the same company in Great Yarmouth. However tragedy struck in 1985 when an accident led to Eleanor breaking her back. Requiring a wheelchair from then on, the family pulled together.
Stewart was made redundant in the early 90s but by 1993 he had become a bus driver for Flying Banana. He was known more for his good time keeping than he was customer satisfaction – ‘not everyone liked a high-speed bus ride’. However, the cheeky personality he was known for his whole life saw him through for nearly 20 years.
Golf, always golf
In 2012 the couple moved back home to Scotland, choosing Findhorn as the place to build a new house. Near to Eleanor’s two siblings and not too far from Stewart’s sister he enjoyed time with family. As well as his own four grandchildren there was a growing number of nieces and nephews who saw him as a grandfather too.
One of Stewart’s dreams was to earn enough money so he could retire and spend his days golfing wherever he wanted. His passion for golf was inherited from his parents who both played.
As well as watching it on TV, attending open championships and the Ryder Cup in 2014 at Gleneagles, he played near to home at Forres golf course. He was known to always preface visits from his sons with “are you bringing your clubs.”
Man of faith
Faith also played an important role in Stewart’s life. Although he married a Church of Scotland lass he was a practicing catholic and attended Pluscarden Abbey. He also volunteered as the abbey’s cleaner for many years.
Gary added: “My dad could light up a room. Always wanted to spend time with us and our kids. He always wanted to make life fun and memorable. We feel very fortunate to have been able to spend so much time with him over the last few years. While we teased him by calling him ‘Grumpy’ he was a wonderful dad and he’s missed.”
You can read the family’s announcement here.
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