The voice and champion of pensioners throughout Tayside, Jack Stewart, has died at the age of 80.
Mr Stewart passed away on Tuesday following a battle with cancer that had only recently forced him to stop his ceaseless campaigning on behalf of the region’s elderly.
His life-long interest in politics was reflected by a history that included party activist work with the Labour Party in Dundee and later as chairman of Dundee Labour Group. He also served as a Dundee councillor for several years, when his drive to help people became known to all.
Born and brought up in Dundee, he was a second world war evacuee to Montrose, where he was to be found most mornings delivering rolls and papers through the darkened streets.
He returned to his home town to start in a ropeworks aged 13 before undertaking an apprenticeship that enabled him to seek work with NCR and Timex.
Following national service with the RAF, he dedicated himself to politics and to the Labour Party, working hard on its behalf in Dundee alongside colleagues including one of Scotland’s big political figures, George Galloway.
Paying tribute, Mr Galloway said, “Jack Stewart was a tower of strength in the Dundee Labour movement and later for the pensioners. He was loyal true. He was an elegant man with impeccable dress sense and manners of a kind once common in the movement, less so today.
“‘Old fashioned’ didn’t mean conservative for Jack though he was Labour through and through.”
After a period as a Dundee councillor, he stepped back to become a caretaker in the multis in Dundee before love and marriage took him to Perth. He and Muriel married in 1984 in what was then York House and he soon became one of the town’s leading and most recognised figures.ChampionHe worked at the Simon House homeless unit and also at the Royal George Hotel, but it was in his role with the Tayside Pensioners’ forum that most knew him. To many he was the pensioners’ champion, always at the end of the phone to offer help and advice. His voice could often be heard raised in Perth High Street as he and colleagues called for action to support the elderly.
And he became known to politicians throughout the country, who regarded him fondly, though he was often to be found in Edinburgh making a call to arms.
“The Pensioners’ Forum would have been nothing without Jack,” said friend and Tayside Pensioners’ Forum press officer Ron MacDonald. “He was the life and soul of the Pensioners’ Forum and was just a great character.”
He added, “A lot of people called him the ‘Victor Meldrew’ of Perth, but in a good way. He wanted to get things done and he helped so many people.”
Mr Stewart is survived by Muriel, daughter Jacqueline, stepson Neville, six grandchildren and one granddaughter.
Mrs Stewart said her husband’s interests had been fairly simple.
“Politics, politics, politics!” she said. “He loved everything politics, but also his family and a wee drink with friends in the Kirkside.”
In accordance with Mr Stewart’s wishes, his body will be donated to medical research.