Born: 12 August, 1933, in Montrose.
Died: 25 May, 2008, in Montrose, aged 74. CHARLIE Wilson was a craftsman builder who left a lasting legacy on the built environment of Montrose and Angus, including several schools, the Dun
dee Repertory Theatre and, in Aberdeenshire, the Grassic Gibbon Centre.
A bricklayer by training, Charlie started his career with the family firm, Burness and Son, aged 14 and spent a lifetime in the trade. The firm was one of the biggest employers in the east coast port town during the building boom of the 1970s.
He was passionate about his profession, workmanship and quality and continued to carry out brickwork skills tests for the Construction Industry Training Board after his retirement. He was project manager for the £6.9 million new build at Angus College in Arbroath and was presented to the Queen in July 2004 when the building was officially opened.
Born in Montrose in 1933, he was educated at the town's academy and Dundee Technical College. He served in the 1st battalion the Black Watch during his National Service, when he guarded the former Nazi leader Rudolf Hess in Berlin in 1956 and danced with the late Queen Mother while on guard duty at Balmoral. Charlie was commended as an excellent soldier and, unsurprisingly, voiced his support for the fight against the Black Watch's disbandment.
He took a strong interest in public service, serving as a special constable with Angus Constabulary and later Tayside Police for more than 30 years; was a founder member and chairman of the Montrose and District Round Table, rising to become Area 13 chairman in 1967, which at that time covered much of Scotland, and sat on the Community Relations Council for the US naval base at Edzell.
The family firm actively supported the local community, assisting Montrose Academy to acquire the first computers for pupil use.
He was chairman of the original college council of what became Angus College after incorporation, a body he served for ten years – six as vice-chairman – and his distinguished contribution was recorded when he retired in 2002 and was publicly thanked "for providing a wealth of business, financial and estate experience to the board".
Charlie was an accomplished amateur radio operator for almost 25 years; as well as communicating personally with the King of Jordan, he achieved the premier operating award in all of amateur radio, the DXCC #1 honour roll.
A devoted family man, Charlie was supportive of his wife of 46 years, Eliz, who sadly predeceased him earlier this year, in her successful business ventures and instilled a powerful sense of values in his son, Mark, and daughter, Samantha.
An accomplished storyteller with a great sense of humour, Charlie was a determined and focused individual. He believed there was no such thing as half measures – a belief that was the hallmark of his workmanship, business dealings and family commitment.
He is survived by Mark, Samantha, grandchildren Teddy and Lily, daughter-in-law Helen and son-in-law James.
The full article contains 506 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
