The former president of Howe of Fife Rugby Club and Fife architect Ian Webster Stewart has died. He was 84.
Mr Stewart was born in Cupar and spent all of his life in the town, attending Castlehill Primary and Bell Baxter High.
On leaving school he studied architecture at Dundee College of Art.
He had to break off from his studies to undertake his national service. He joined the Royal Navy and served three years onboard HMS Swiftsure. Afterwards, he returned to his studies and graduated in 1951.
Mr Stewart joined Fife Council and worked from Cupar County Buildings. After local government reorganisation, his offices moved to Fife House where he became assistant director for architecture.
Over his working life he was involved in designing many notable projects, including being the project architect on the Madras College Kilrymont site which opened in 1967.
He also designed the Lochgelly Centre with its theatre, sports facilities and exhibition rooms. It was opened in 1976 by the Duke of Edinburgh.
In the fifties, he played in goal for Thanes of Fife hockey team and in the sixties joined the Howe of Fife RFC where he played on the wing.
He used his architectural skills to help the club develop their club rooms and their Duffus Park site. He also designed the Howe badge worn with pride by so many players over the years.
The club honoured him by electing him club president from 1969-71.
In the late sixties and seventies, with his rugby playing days over, Mr Stewart rekindled his interest in hockey and became coach for the Bell Baxter FP women’s team.
He also had a passion for genealogy and he researched the family tree back to 1625 in Aberlemno.
Through his endeavours many family links were re-established in the UK and also from as far as North America and New Zealand.
Another passion was for poetry and he was published in a collection of Scottish poets in 1995.
In the late eighties, he developed rheumatoid arthritis and had to retire from architecture.
Mr Stewart was married to Rose and was father of Rorie and the late Fionn.
He is also survived by his three grandsons David, Thomas and Cameron, his sisters and brother and their families.
Son Rorie paid tribute, saying: ”Throughout his life he showed great kindness with a keen wit and a no-nonsense outlook on life.
”He leaves many visible treasures behind buildings, drawings, caricatures, poetry but the most important to himself was his family.”