Broughty Ferry woman Eileen Wilson, who volunteered with her local branch of the YMCA for almost 50 years, has died aged 80.
Born Eileen Brough on April 6 1938, she was a proud “Sandyholer” and went to Eastern Primary School and then Grove Academy.
Throughout her life Mrs Wilson worked at Woolworths, Malones, Goodfellows and as a school cleaner, but her life’s passion was her decades of work with the Broughty Ferry YMCA.
She heard about the local branch needing a leader of the girls’ section while at a school parent’s night. She took up the post and never looked back.
Hundreds of youths would have come through the YMCA during her tenure there, and Mrs Wilson set up numerous fundraising events, coffee mornings and jumble sales.
As part of her time with the group Mrs Wilson organised exchange trips with youths from Cologne, Germany as well as journeys to Portugal, Butlins, Dalnaglar Castle and Dalguise.
Such was her popularity with the youths she worked with, she was still receiving Christmas cards from as far afield as Canada from people who had moved away over the years.
Mrs Wilson was awarded the George Williams medal, named after the philanthropist who founded the charity, five years ago.
She married Jackie Wilson, also from Broughty Ferry, in 1959 – having met in 1955. Jackie passed away in 1999 at the age of 68.
Her modesty led her to refusing a nomination for Citizen of the Year in 2010, as she didn’t want any distractions from her work with youths.
Mrs Wilson, who had latterly been living at St Mary’s Care Home in Monifieth, died on May 9 after a battle with dementia.
She is survived by sons Andy and Roddy and her grandchildren Natasha, Robyn and Lewis.
The funeral will take place at St James Broughty Ferry Church on Thursday May 17 at 2pm. All friends and family welcome.
