Reg Kydd of Arbroath, who celebrated his 100th birthday in December, has died.
His birthday card from the Queen was delivered with great pride by his grandson, Arbroath postman, James Martin.
At the start of the Second World War Reg was quick to volunteer to serve but was turned down because at that time you could not enlist with flat feet.
When regulations changed later in the conflict and he was eligible to join, he was working in munitions production which was a reserved occupation.
Defence
Determined to do his bit, he joined the Home Guard and played his part in defending the town.
His daughter Lyla said: “Dad had a wealth of stories about his time in the Home Guard that would give Dad’s Army a run for its money.”
After the war, Reg went on to have a career in insurance and then finance at St Andrews and Dundee Universities and only retired aged 70.
Interests
Outside work he was a Kirk elder, a member of Angus Minstrels, Arbroath Male Voice Choir and Arbroath Operatic Society.
He was born in Fergus Square, Arbroath, and educated at the old Inverbrothock Primary School in St Vigeans Road before starting work at Shanks engineering in the town where he became a time-served engineer.
It was there he met his future wife Ella who joined the workforce when the factory was converted to a munitions production plant.
Marriage
The couple married at the Co-op Rooms in the West Port on September 8, 1945 and set up home in St Vigeans Road.
Reg then tried to join the police but at 5ft 10in he was deemed two inches short.
Instead he joined Liverpool Victoria insurance and cycled around Arbroath to visit customers.
After a spell working as a heating consultant for the gas board, Reg joined Scottish Legal as manager of its branch in Millgate Loan, Arbroath, before joining the finance team at Dundee University.
Motoring
He did not drive until he was 56 but when he did qualify, motoring opened up a whole knew vista for Reg and Ella who loved nothing better than being ‘on top of the road’.
Ella, who died in 2001, and Reg had two children, Lyla and Lorraine, three grandchildren, Lorraine, James and Colin and four great-grandchildren.