Tributes to solicitor Ron McKenzie

Mr McKenzie, who was 67, helped establish McKenzies Solicitors in Kirkcaldy in 1986 and would have celebrated his 30th anniversary with the company at the end of June.

Originally from Dundee, he was brought up in Dundee and Broughty Ferry and was educated at Dundee High School and Grove Academy.

He studied at Edinburgh University – beginning with electrical engineering before switching to law – and qualified in 1974.

In 1976, he came to Kirkcaldy to work with the James Thomson legal firm and, 10 years later, he and two colleagues founded the company which bore his name.

In the early days, Mr McKenzie specialised in criminal law but later branched out into different legal areas.

“He prided himself on being able to turn his hand to any aspect of law,” said colleague Nigel Cooke.

Mr McKenzie was a member of the Council of the Law Society of Scotland from 1983-89.

During that time, he was the committee convenor, a member of the judicial procedure committee and the criminal law committee.

He was also heavily involved with the Sheriff Court Rules Council, of which he was also a member, and was instrumental in helping shape the civil law rules practised in Scotland’s Sheriff Courts today.

A Temporary Sheriff from 1987-99, Mr McKenzie also worked extensively for a number of organisations, including the Adam Smith Global Foundation.

Away from work, he was a very keen rugby player and, after that, a fervent support of the international team.

He attended many Five and Six Nations games at Cardiff, Twickenham, Paris and Rome, and was a regular spectator for Scotland’s home matches at Murrayfield.

He was also very interested in old cars and had a collection from past eras of motoring, featuring names such as Austin and Daimler, while he also had an interest in pre-war motorbikes.

Paying tribute, Mr Cooke said: “I remember him as being single-minded and determined and, in doing his work, he was meticulous in applying his mind to the detail of things.

“I was privileged to know him for 30 years and I could not have had anyone to be in practice with who was better.”

Mr McKenzie was still working at the firm less than a fortnight before his death.

His funeral at Linktown Parish Church in Kirkcaldy was followed by burial at Auchtertool Graveyard.

He is survived by his wife Deirdre - known as Dode - daughters Joanne and Sally, and son Bruce.