David Crichton, whose petition for fairer treatment for mental health patients helped change the law, has died.
Mr Crichton passed away October 19 after a series of health issues. He was 70 years old.
Described as a funny man who could “string people along”, Mr Crichton was born on June 3 1948 in Methil, Fife. His father, David, was a miner and his mother, Ann, a homemaker.
He went to Aberhill Primary School and then to the now-closed Buckhaven High School.
After school, Mr Crichton spent about eight years in the army before returning to Fife for work in 1972.
After short spells working as a cement mixer and a lorry driver, he became a door-to-door salesman with Lawson Fishers, Kirkcaldy.
An area manager sales job brought him to Dundee in 1993, where he and his wife of 45 years, Lucille Crichton, lived – first in Megginch Gardens and then Inversk Gardens – for the rest of his life.
He met Lucille, from Kennoway, on a blind date in 1972. They got engaged six months later and tied the knot on June 30 1973.
The couple had three children together. David was born in 1976, Andrea in 1977 and Darren in 1981.
Mr Crichton’s proudest achievement was getting provisions put in place to help people with mental health conditions included in the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003.
The petition was started to help a family member sent to Carstairs State Hospital at the age of just 16.
The relative suffered from schizophrenia, and Mr Crichton’s attempts to get fairer treatment for him and others like him was covered by local and national media in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
He continued to support mental health charities, such as the now-defunct Little Wings.
His family said that Mr Crichton was always grateful to the efforts of former patient Ron Lindsay and Dr Karen Adam for their help with the petition.
He maintained an interest in politics and for a spell was a member of the SNP.
The funeral will take place at 2pm on November 1 at Sturrock Comb & Davidson funeral home. All family and friends are welcome.
The family ask that anyone wishing to make donations to do so to the Feeling Strong mental health charity.
Mr Crichton is survived by his wife Lucille, two sons David and Darren, daughter Andrea and granddaughter Eleanor.
