A week before he died, Angus garage owner Dennis Middler watched with pride as his granddaughter competed in a national motorsport competition.
Lana Middler, just nine years old, took second place in the Micro F2 Scottish championship at Crimmond in Aberdeenshire.
A week later, Lana, in her seven-horsepower vehicle, led her grandfather’s cortege to his burial at Panbride Church, Carnoustie.
Just behind was Dennis’s son, also Dennis, in an imported Dodge Challenger Hellcat that his father never got the chance to drive in this country.
The car, which the 67-year-old had driven on Route 66 in the US before his cancer diagnosis, had arrived in Southampton from the United States on Sunday, October 23.
Dennis died on the Monday before it was delivered to his home.
Special wristband
Dennis had spent years involved in motorsport at Cowdenbeath and shortly before he died had arranged for staff there to make him a lifetime admission wristband for the track, which he was laid to rest wearing.
He owned Westfield Motors, Carnoustie, and had also owned Keptie Motors and Robbie’s Garage, Arbroath.
His funeral service took place at George Stewart’s chapel in Arbroath, with Lana and Dennis Jr leading the cortege on the final part of its journey to his grave at Panbride.
Throughout his life, he had been a huge motorsport fan and encouraged his children to participate in motor racing.
The family were regular competitors at Cowdenbeath and across the UK and Europe, with Dennis Jr becoming Scottish champion in Brisca Formula Two in 2016.
Beginnings
Dennis Middler Sr was born at Crook Hill Cottage, Upper Victoria, to farmworker George and his wife Annie.
He was educated at Barry Primary School and Carnoustie High School before he started work as a messenger with the Co-op butcher in the Angus town.
When he was old enough, Dennis began his motor mechanic’s apprenticeship with Duncan & Cameron in Muirdrum where he worked until he was 30.
He met his future wife Sandra through his work and the couple married at Panbride Church in April, 1982.
They went on to raise four of a family; Derek, Graeme, Dennis Jr and Denise.
In April 1985, Dennis opened Westfield Motors in Carnoustie.
He concentrated on vehicle repairs and servicing while Sandra did the marketing.
Her Happy One cartoons advertising the business in the local paper will be remembered by many.
Among his staff was mechanic Bob Clark and Ian Fraser, who began as an apprentice and remained throughout his career.
Son Derek also began his apprenticeship at Westfield Motors.
Dennis later took over Arbroath’s Keptie Motors and Robbie’s Garage; the former is now run by Derek and the latter by Kevin Stewart, the husband of his daughter Denise.
He retired from business in 2020 and took many family holidays to Florida where he and Sandra own a house.
In his younger years, Dennis had been a successful darts player locally and was a member of a tug o’ war team.
He was also a huge Rangers fan and season ticket holder.
As his health began to deteriorate, the father and grandfather still managed to go to hospitality days at Ibrox, meeting a host of Light Blues legends including Gordon Durie and Marvin Andrews.
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