Former St Andrews Community Council chairman Dennis Macdonald has died at the age of 83.
A dedicated member of the SNP for almost 50 years, Mr Macdonald mentored Alex Salmond during his student days. From his home in St Andrews, the young Salmond organised many political activities and he became a firm friend of the Macdonald family.
Born at Kincaple, near St Andrews, Mr Macdonald attended Strathkinness Primary and then Madras College. The youngest of three brothers, he left school at 14 to work with the St Andrews printers and booksellers W.C. Henderson.
He also trained as a radio operator in Dundee and joined the Royal Corps of Signals during the second world war aged 17. After three years in the army he joined the merchant navy in 1947 as a radio officer, sailing to many parts of the world including India, Australia and Canada.
After 12 years at sea Mr Macdonald joined the UK intelligence agency GCHQ. He trained at Bletchley Park and during his 32-year career was a wireless operator at a now defunct listening station at Magus Muir, near St Andrews, and later at the former top-secret base at Hawklaw, near Cupar.
He was also posted to Ascension Island in the South Atlantic, where he and his late wife Marion spent three years. They were married in Edinburgh in 1950.
He received commendations during his time at Cupar and the Imperial Service Medal in 1989 for his work with GCHQ.
The longest-serving SNP member in north-east Fife joining in the early 1960s Mr Macdonald stood several times unsuccessfully as party candidate for the former North East Fife District Council.
A former chairman of the St Andrews branch, he acted as a polling agent over the years and as recently as May’s general election. He represented the branch at conferences and other SNP meetings over the years.
Mr Macdonald was also a prolific SNP fund-raiser, including organising the party’s participation at car boot sales in the area.
He also took a keen interest in local affairs in St Andrews and was a long-time member and past chairman of St Andrews Community Council, joining it in the late 1970s following local government reorganisation.
He represented the group on the former St Andrews World Class now the St Andrews Partnership and the RAF Leuchars Community Forum.
Mr Macdonald was a member of the community council until last year and helped spearhead a number of projects, including the installation of a small skateboard park in St Andrews after a long campaign and a huge clean-up operation of the Castle Sands outdoor swimming pool in the town.
He was also a long-time member of St Andrews Golf Club.
Mr Macdonald and his late wife were keen travellers and spent many holidays in Europe and the north of Canada, visiting two of their sons and their families. They also enjoyed regular visits to Las Vegas, notching up 24 trips over the years and making many friends.
Predeceased by his wife Marion in 2005, Mr Macdonald is survived by children Derek, Marion, Colin and Ian, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.