A founder of a Dundee-based footwear company has passed away at the age of 78.
Samuel Connor, known as Sam, died in Cupar’s Adamson Hospital on December 26.
Mr Connor, of Ceres, was a founder director of Buckler Boots which produces specialist safety footwear sold across the UK and in Europe.
His working life began with a paper round and helping deliver coal in Kilmarnock. On leaving Kilmarnock Academy he took a job at the town’s Saxone footwear factory.
National Service took him with the Royal Scots Fusiliers to Malaya.
An accomplished drummer from his school days and as a drum major with Kilmarnock Academy Pipe Bank, he continued playing with the Royal Scots Fusiliers Pipe Band.
Once demobbed, he returned to Saxone before a move to Co-op footwear production in West Yorkshire.
With his family, he returned to Kilmarnock in the early 1970s and moved into safety equipment and workwear sales in West Scotland.
He met Andrew Duncan with whom he went on to set up Buckler Boots when he worked with Clares, now Dickies.
In 1998 they launched Buckler Boots and the firm has grown to have a network of more than 1,300 dealer outlets in the UK and Ireland and also sells across Europe.
Mr Connor moved into semi-retirement in 2004 to spend more time indulging his love of travel and meeting people with wife Carol.
As well as Carol, he is survived by stepsons Stewart and Trevor and his first wife and family Elizabeth, Lorraine, James, and Robert, who played football for Dundee and Aberdeen football clubs and Scotland.
He also leaves behind 11 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.