Dons legends Willie Miller and Drew Jarvie were among those who payed their last respects to former Cove Rangers and Aberdeen FC man Jim Rust, 83.
The former Cove director and AFC secretary’s funeral took place earlier this month with both the former Aberdeen players and Cove fraternity in attendance.
Jim – also called Ross by his family – was best known professionally as the organiser of Aberdeen International Football Festival and being part of the team behind Mikhail Gorbachev receiving Aberdeen’s Freedom of the City.
Dons man from Dundee
Born in Dundee to Isobel and Robert Rust, who owned a dairy, Jim was an only child. He attended Butterburn Primary School before moving on to Rockwell High School.
Jim left school at 15 for a job with the city engineers in Dundee’s City Square.
During his time there he was taking part in a production of Cinderella at the Unitarian Church. A young Kathleen Thompson was invited by her sister to attend to boost the number of people singing on the night.
Jim and Kathleen hit it off that evening.
The young couple married in Den of Mains Church on June 13 1964.
Their first child, Susan was born in Dundee – where Jim played for Dundee Violet FC – but shortly afterwards they moved to St Boswell’s in the Scottish Borders where their son Jonathon arrived.
Granite City calling
After just two years working as an administrator in Roxburgh County Council’s architecture department Jim and his family returned north, this time settling in Aberdeen.
Loving his new city, and a keen footballer, Jim got involved with all the clubs he could. He played for Coast and Vale, and played and managed West End Football Club.
A staunch Dundee FC supporter all of his life, Jim’s links with the Dons began at this time, through his work with Robert Gordon Institute of Technology.
He worked alongside Chris Anderson, then a director at Pittodrie. Four years into his RGIT post the football club needed a secretary and Chris thought Jim would be the man for the job, despite his Dundee leanings.
Aberdeen International Football Festival
Jimmy Bonthrone was the manager when Jim started with the club, followed by Ally MacLeod, the former Scotland boss, who became Jim’s close friend.
His time at Pittodrie ended when he moved to a new position in the architecture department of Aberdeen City Council, before switching to work in leisure and recreation under David Welch.
In 1981, Jim was asked by the council if he could organise what would become the Aberdeen International Football Festival for young players from all over the world.
Jim was also responsible for organising other memorable events and occasions for the city. These included the Freedom of the City ceremony for former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, the first Tall Ships event and the celebration of 200 years of Union Street.
Cove Rangers
In 1997, when employed as deputy director of leisure and recreation, Jim retired. He then took on a directorship at Cove Rangers, which he thoroughly enjoyed.
Jim loved attending all the matches and derived great pleasure from the team’s successes. He played a major role in setting up Cove’s commercial department and he remained at the club for over a decade.
The club shared an online tribute saying they were “saddened” to hear of Jim’s death.
Jim was also a former chairman of Aberdeen Sportman’s Club and recently received an honorary membership.
He was a volunteer at the Aberdeen Dementia Resource Centre, where he managed to get ex-Aberdeen players to come along to give a talk.
‘Terribly missed’
In June 2020, Jim suffered a serious stroke, becoming a resident at Cowdray Club Care Home.
Kathleen, who was married to Jim for 58 years, spoke about losing her husband.
“It was a terrible time when Jim had the stroke. It meant he had to move into a home and for the first time in all those years we weren’t together.
“He was a lovely man. So kind and well thought of. All the cards and letters I’ve received speak about him being a great motivator of people, someone who genuinely cared about others.
“He was at Cowdray Club Care home until he passed away. There had been other health issues too but I just wasn’t expecting this. We all miss him terribly.”
At rest
Jim, who suffered the heartbreaking loss of his son Jonathan in 2019, died on December 31.
He is survived by Kathleen, daughter Susan, son-in-law Jim, and his granddaughters Kirsten and Erin.
His funeral service took place at Mannofield Church in Aberdeen on January 13.
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