Born: 6 July, 1925.
Died: 21 April, 2008, in Dalbeattie, aged 82.
DAVID Robert Baillie was one of three children to Jasper and Jean Baillie, both pharmacists. David's father died young, leaving his mother to
support the children by dispensing medicine from the family home in Musselburgh.
David's studies in physics at Edinburgh University were interrupted by war service. On his demob, he found the course had changed so much that he was required to go "back to scratch" – something that was beyond him financially. He therefore found work at first as a journalist/photographer before taking up an appointment as a photographer with the civil service. This led to a move to London where he was to meet his wife-to-be, Irene, a fellow worshipper at St John's (United Reformed) Church, Northwood.
A move to Benbecula eventually followed, where David was commissioned as a reader in the Church of Scotland. It was during his commissioning service that David sensed a call to the full-time ordained ministry of the Church.
By this time he was in his fifties. His application for training was accepted and upon completing his course at New College, Edinburgh, he was ordained and inducted to Kirkinner, where he served until he was translated in 1980 to Crawford, from which charge he retired in 1990.
David enjoyed the variety and challenges of rural ministry. A scholarly man who prepared thoroughly, preached passionately and visited regularly, David was an "old-school" type, embodying all that is good, accessible, trustworthy and wholesome in a traditional rural ministry.
A brief spell of retirement to Ecclefechan followed but he and Irene soon moved to Annan, where they found community and fellowship. David enjoyed an active retirement within the Presbytery of Annandale and Eskdale, preaching in every charge, serving for a term as moderator of presbytery and also as locum minister among several congregations.
Blessed with a pawky sense of humour, David announced on his first morning back "Our call to worship is from Shakespeare's Henry V, Act III, Scene I – once more unto the breach dear friends, once more..."
David's razor-sharp wit and hearty laughter masked a long-term battle with depression – one which he fought with courage and faith.
He was a well-read man who could converse knowledgeably on most subjects. He was also an immensely practical man who worked wonders on his cars, his homes and his garden.
David maintained a lifelong interest in photography, passing on this skill to his sons. He and Irene enjoyed a little foreign travel in retirement – to Canada to visit family, to Vietnam for their son Andrew's wedding and David with a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
In the year 2000, David was appointed associate minister to the (then) charge of Annan: St Andrew's Greenknowe Erskine. During his time in Annan, David was chaplain to the local branch of the Royal British Legion.
Ever active in retirement and during his associateship in Annan, David served as locum minister for two spells in the Islay charge of Kilchoman linked with Kilmeny linked with Portnahaven. All in all, David had a most fruitful and happy retirement-ministry.
He and Irene "re-retired" – this time to Islay, briefly, in an unsuccessful attempt at finding a permanent home there. They were to move back to the mainland – to Dalbeattie – in 2004, where he spent the last four years of his life, finding most of these years something of a trial, having had to cease driving and gradually losing some of his powers of concentration.
David was a deeply spiritual man. He often referred to his London minister, Rev Ian Miller, as a "father in Christ", and while David would be the last to describe himself as such, he certainly was – not least to this contributor, whose early ministry was blessed by David's friendship, support and prayers. The sum total of David's active and retirement- ministry spanned some 25 years and the Church is the richer for them.
David is survived by his wife, Irene, his sons, Duncan and Andrew, his daughter, Mary, his grandchildren, Elizabeth and James, and his sister, Dorothy.
The full article contains 695 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
