Sandra Strachan, a three-times ladies golf captain at Kirriemuir, has died aged 76.
For many years, Sandra was a secretary/administrator with the social work department in Forfar and, after taking early retirement, had a spell as a lollipop lady at Wellbrae Primary School in the town.
For the last few years, Sandra had been living with Huntington’s disease, which she first became aware of while playing golf.
She made it her mission to raise awareness of the genetic condition and shared her story with The Courier in 2016.
Onset of condition
Sandra told us at the time that she was not performing her best on the golf course and added: “My friends noticed too and I also felt as if I was walking to the side all the time, which made me feel self-conscious.”
An MRI scan, blood and DNA tests confirmed Huntington’s disease which stemmed from a rogue, inherited gene.
Sandra said in the interview: “Huntington’s disease is very different from any other because, being genetic, it affects the whole family.
“I was left feeling very isolated because my family had to go through months of counselling before my grandchildren could be told that granny had the condition.”
Beginnings
Sandra was the younger daughter of Jim and Agnes Melville of Kirriemuir who operated buses and lorries from the town.
She was educated at Southmuir Primary School and the then Webster’s Seminary before beginning work in the office at Airlie Estate at Cortachy.
Sandra went to night classes to learn typing and shorthand and remained at Cotachy for a number of years.
In the early 1960s she met her future husband, Angus, at Starkie’s cafe in Kirriemuir.
Angus said: “It was where all the young people gathered to play the jukebox. We caught each other’s eyes and met up again at a dance at the town hall in Kirriemuir on the Saturday and started going out.”
The couple got engaged in 1964 and were married two years later at St Andrew’s Church, Glamis Road, Kirriemuir.
First marital home
Married life began in a cottage on the outskirts of Kirriemuir before a move to Forfar after a year. The couple had three children, Karen, John and Gillian.
Angus, who was brought up on Tannadice Estate, worked as a steel fabricator/welder with Reekie in Forfar, where Sandra also worked for a spell.
She later moved to work in social work, first with Tayside Regional Council and then Angus Council.
Both Sandra and Angus were dedicated golfers at Kirriemuir and in retirement played several times a year on courses on the Costa del Sol in Spain.
Foreign travel
Likewise, they were both Elvis fans and in 1993 made a dream trip to visit the late star’s home at Graceland, Memphis, and his childhood home at Tupelo, Mississippi.
The couple, who had eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, also enjoyed retirement holidays to Sorrento and Lake Garda.
For more information on Huntington’s and if you would like to make a donation, you can visit go to hdscotland.org
You can read the family’s announcement here
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