Decorated former Dundee police officer and artist Derick Edward has died aged 91.
He took up painting seriously in the 1960s when he was given a set of oil paints and quickly established himself as a sought-after artist.
Derick, who received a Queen’s Commendation for Bravery in 1974, became friends with fellow artist, James McIntosh Patrick.
The two would spend evenings in McIntosh Patrick’s studio discussing their respective work. Derick considered McIntosh Patrick a mentor and often sought advice on aspects of painting he found challenging.
Derick joined the police in Dundee in the late 1950s and worked into the 1980s before embarking on a second career in security.
He was born in Stonehaven in October 1932 to William and Alice Edward. William, known as Bill, worked as an engineer in the gasworks and younger brother Billy came along nine years later.
Derick loved his childhood in Stonehaven and, for the rest of his life, would reminisce about growing up there.
He was educated at Mackie Academy, Stonehaven, and continued his schooling there even after his dad secured a promotion to manager of Laurencekirk gasworks. The family moved there when Derick was around 14 years.
When he left school he became an apprentice joiner in Laurencekirk and in his spare time liked to golf, cycle and play piano. From a young age, he took an interest in drawing. At weekends he would attend dances in nearby Montrose, Stonehaven or Aberdeen.
In 1953 he was called up for national service and joined the Royal Military Police, serving in Germany where he was promoted to corporal in 1955.
He made many friends, from Scotland, England and Holland and kept in touch with them for the rest of his life.
After he served his two years he returned to carpentry in Laurencekirk and while attending a dance at the Locarno in Montrose, met his future wife, Heather Omand.
The couple married in 1958 and had two children, Janet, and the late Derick.
Janet said: “My mum’s father used to serve in the police in Shanghai and during chats with my granda, my dad, as he was unfulfilled as a joiner, felt this might be the career for him and decided to join the police.
“He chose Dundee and completed his training in 1957. My dad’s career was spent in Dundee. He loved being a police officer, was in traffic and CID but most of all he preferred being a beat bobby where he could mix with the public more.”
In 1974 when Derick was 42, he and civilian Douglas McKay, 32, of Menzieshill, tackled a gunman who had shot at a police officer during a break-in at a shop. Both Derek and Mr McKay were presented with bravery awards by Lord Provost Tom Moore.
Although he had painted in watercolours all his life, it was not until his wife gave him oil paints in the 1960s that he began to take his art more seriously.
Janet said: “It was then he began entering competitions. He was self taught and never had an art lesson in his life. He remained an amateur artist throughout his life.
His subject matter varied but he loved landscapes and soon found his paintings began winning competitions and sold easily.
“Craigievar Castle would have been one of his first oil paintings. In 1976 he entered a competition in Dundee which the prize was to spend two weeks in Dundee’s twin city of Alexandria in Virginia.
“My dad painted a representation of Dundee and spent two weeks in the US accompanied by the Lord Provost where he also visited the local police force and made lasting friendships.”
Among his many commissions was a painting of Mains Castle for Lorraine Kelly’s wedding, civic Christmas cards and calendars.
He sold at many exhibitions and his work made its to countries around the world. In recent years he had focused on scenes of old Dundee which were made into prints.
Derick’s funeral took place at Dundee crematorium on March 7.
You can read the family’s announcement here.
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