Obituary: Former Perth union representative and musician ‘Red Frank’ Byrne

Perth-born Frankie Byrne, a former union representative and musician, has died aged 65.

He was a familiar sight playing the pipes at funerals and weddings in Perth. For the last three-and-a-half years Frankie and his partner, Dot, had lived in Dunfermline.

Known as Red Frank for his political convictions, Frankie, was a union leader at the gas board and later went on to study at Dundee and St Andrews universities.

He was born in Hunter Crescent, Perth, the second youngest of Patsy and Sean Byrne’s seven children.

When he was 10 or 11 the family moved to a larger house in nearby Hillyland.

Sportsman

As a youth he joined Perth’s Railway Athletic Boxing Club and was known as a skilled boxer who won a few trophies.

When he left St Columba’s High School, Frankie began work with the Co-op delivering furniture but then joined the merchant navy and was able to see the world.

After coming ashore, he joined the then gas board and trained as a distribution fitter.

Before long he had been appointed workplace union representative and often negotiated with management about changes to working practices.

It was after leading a strike that he acquired the nickname Red Frank and he even requested a red coffin for his funeral.

Study

After working with Scottish Gas for 16 years, he took redundancy in 1994 and went on to study full time at Perth College where he gained a Higher National Certificate in social sciences.

Frankie spent two years studying at the University of Strathclyde on a part-time basis where he qualified with a diploma in trade union and labour studies.

He then progressed to Dundee University and gained an MA (Hons) in history and political science before post-graduate IT studies at St Andrews University.

For many years he was a member of Perth and District Pipe Band and it was through this he was invited to pipe at weddings, funerals and other social gatherings.

Entertainer

He also enjoyed hillwalking and  spending many nights in bothies where he entertained fellow hillwalkers with his pipes and great stories.

Frankie also had a spell working for Churches Action for the Homeless and as a taxi driver in Perth.

For the last 20 years or so he was in a loving relationship with his partner Dot. They lived in Tay Street in Perth before their move to to Dunfermline.

Among the scores of people who paid tribute to Frankie was broadcaster Stuart Cosgrove who wrote on Facebook: “Primary school, then soul scene, a warrior. RIP Frankie.”