Duncan Alexander, a former principal teacher at Mackie Academy who became depute rector at Elgin Academy, has died aged 85.
A graduate of Aberdeen University who had a lifelong commitment to the Scout movement, Duncan also had a spell as principal teacher of science at Lochaber High School in Fort William.
During his time living in Elgin, he served the church for 45 years as an elder, clerk to the board and then session clerk of South Church. He continued to serve as an elder when the new charge of St Giles and St Columba’s South Church of Scotland was formed.
He was born in Banchory on March 15 1938, a much welcomed child in a family which had two unmarried sisters and a brother who had died in the First World War.
Academy Dux
Duncan was Dux at Banchory Academy, and from a young age he started teaching; giving Latin lessons to his younger sisters.
He studied chemistry at Aberdeen and then trained as a teacher, starting his career at Mackie Academy in 1961 before moving to Lochaber High School, Fort William, as principal teacher of science.
In 1966 he moved back to Mackie Academy as principal teacher of chemistry. In 1973 he was appointed assistant rector at Elgin Academy and was then depute rector until his retirement.
Long after retirement he kept up with science, particularly the latest developments in chemistry, regularly attending science talks in Aberdeen and across the UK, and recently by Zoom.
He enjoyed organising and going to meetings of the various organisations he was involved with, such as Aberdeen University, the Association for Science Education, and the National Trust for Scotland.
Worldwide travel
When he was 16 his much-travelled aunts took him to Paris on his first visit abroad. This was the start of his love of travel and he gathered hundreds of photos from all over the world – from Europe, Africa, Asia and North America.
He was known as a devoted Kirk elder, visiting those who needed a listening ear, and perhaps a wise word from a respected teacher.
His passion for saving the planet meant he was a member of the Eco Congregation and was active in promoting recycling within the church.
Duncan was also a keen supporter of the church’s contacts in the Middle East, helping children caught up in wars over the years and, latterly, supporting the charity Embrace.
He organised the annual Souper Sundays at church, raising funds for HIV/Aids sufferers, and was a collector for Christian Aid.
Scouting commitment
Helping others was also the theme of his lifelong service to Scouting, which started in 1947 when he enrolled as a Wolf Cub in Banchory before moving up to become a Scout, then Scoutmaster, in Banchory and later in Stonehaven.
After moving to Lochaber, he became Group Scoutmaster, as well as County International Adviser for both Kincardineshire and Inverness-shire.
In 1982 he was appointed International Commissioner for Scotland and in 1997 Assistant Chief Commissioner for Scotland.
Duncan was passionate about reinforcing Baden Powell’s dream of a worldwide brotherhood to encourage peace and understanding in young people and he attended many international jamborees around the globe.
Wanting to help Scouting in poorer countries, he promoted projects in Uganda and Ghana which helped young people here to be more aware of the difficulties faced by others. He led an Explorer Belt Expedition for Venture Scouts to the Black Forest in Germany, having previously run two ScotsTrek events for them.
Jamborettes
For many years Duncan was heavily involved in organising the Blair Atholl International Patrol Jamborettes every two years, which were attended by 600 Scouts, half from Scotland and half from overseas, and he made many life-long friends through this.
He received many Scouting awards, including the highest adult award, the Silver Wolf, presented by the Chief Scout in 1991.
A large contingent of former colleagues from Scout headquarters attended Duncan’s funeral and Dorothy Kinloch OBE, vice-president and former Chief Commissioner of Scouts Scotland, gave a comprehensive address about Duncan’s contribution of over 60 years to Scouting.
Duncan died on February 16 2024 following a short illness. He is survived by his two sisters, Liz and Rosemary, his brother-in-law Neil, nephew Michael, who came over from Sydney for the funeral, and his two nieces, Jenny from Edinburgh and Suzanne from Aberdeen, as well as several cousins and wider family members.
You can read the family’s announcement here.
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