Former Fraserburgh pub landlady and owner of Rene’s Taxis, Alexina “Rene” Forrest has died aged 78.
Once the proprietor of the Broch’s Kenyan Bar, she was well known in the town as well as in Bridge of Don.
Aberdeen born
Alexina Baird Forrest – known as Rene – was born in Aberdeen on April 29 1944 to mum Jessie Diack.
One of eight, she attended Bridge of Don and New Pitsligo primary schools but at 16 she left Powis High School for a job in a wool factory.
Rene lived in Urquhart Road, off King Street, and at a night out at the Beach Ballroom she met her future husband Dennis William Forrest, whose dad was a farmer from Bucksburn.
The couple got together in 1960. Dennis had already done his National Service stationed in Berlin. The young couple got married soon after meeting. Rene was just 17.
Working hard for her family
Rene and Dennis had two children, Dennis and Michelle. Working hard underpinned everything Rene did – especially if it meant providing for her family.
She and her husband both worked at Grandholm Mills before moving on to Lawson’s of Dyce where Rene was nightshift manager and Dennis was head butcher.
While working there they lived in Dyce but when Lawson’s closed down in 1978 the couple relocated to Fraserburgh to take over the Kenyan Bar.
Together they were landlords for nine years. However, when their time in the pub ended so did their marriage.
Rene’s Taxis
The couple divorced and Rene found work with Grampian Taxis, Fraserburgh. After a few years she launched her own firm, Rene’s Taxis, which she ran for more than 20 years, until 2000.
She had a small fleet of cars and loved being at the heart of the community.
In her retirement Rene lived in Academy Road and surrounded herself with friends and family. She was nanna to five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
“She was a good soul. A jolly person. She never passed you by. My mum would stop and yap for Scotland. Always kept herself tidy. A very well turned out woman, immaculate. All sparky and done up all the time. She was very proud,” her son Dennis said.
Health battles
In summer 2018 Rene moved back to Newburgh Circle, Bridge of Don, to be near family but by November she had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Through her illness she tried to be positive, grateful that despite being ill her diagnosis and hospital visits facilitated new friendships being formed.
Dennis said: “Latterly she was in and out of hospital, and Rubislaw Care Centre.”
Rene died on December 13 with her family by her side. Her funeral took place in Fraserburgh on December 21 where she was interred at Kirkton Cemetery.
“She wanted to be back to be with her pals from Fraserburgh,” added Dennis.
You can read the family’s announcement here.
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