A WELL-known Stonehaven man who founded several organisations in the town has passed away, aged 93.
George Christie was born on July 7, 1916 and died suddenly on January 29, 2010.
He often referred to himself as an "auld toon loon" having been born in Stonehaven's old Castle Square. He was a pupil at the Episcopal School in the High Street and af
ter leaving school he started work at the Kincardineshire Press/Mearns Leader where he undertook a variety of jobs including advertising, press photography and sports reporting.
In March 1940 he was called up to the army and was drafted into the 5th/7th Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders. His clerical experience led to a move to the Battalion HQ office and later he was promoted and moved up to the office of the 153rd Infantry Brigade HQ (one of the three brigades in the 51st Highland Division) where he became Chief Clerk with the rank of Staff Sergeant. He served with the 51st Division through the North African and Sicilian campaigns and also on the second front in Europe, ending up finally in Bremerhaven in North West Germany.
On return to civilian life in 1946, he resumed newspaper work with the Aberdeen Bon Accord - a sister newspaper of the Mearns Leader. In 1956 he accepted a post in the advertising department of Aberdeen Journals and he remained with that firm until 1981.
In the years that following the war, he joined the Stonehaven Choral and Orchestral Society and was also an elder of Dunnottar Church as well as being in the choir. Maintaining his interest in sport he joined the local golf club and was also secretary of Stonehaven Junior Football Club for a number of years.
Always an enthusiastic walker he was a founder member of the Stonehaven Hill Walking and Mountaineering Club and was still adding to his list of munros at the age of 70. He was also a founder member of Stonehaven Heritage Society and a member for many years of the Stonehaven Probus Club. A keen dancer in his early years he took up dancing again in his late seventies by joining the Stonehaven Tea Dancing Group and was still an active member at the age of 93.
He was a "weel kent" figure as he regularly trod the highways and byways around Stonehaven on his daily afternoon walks, which he continued doing until his death.
He is survived by his son and daughter, two grandchildren and a great grand daughter.
WELL-known Stonehaven man George Christie, who died on January 29.
