Duffus Park grieves following passing of past president John McIntyre

John had been due to be elected president of the club at the Annual General Meeting in March, which was, of course, postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

John had been the president on five previous occasions in 2002, 2008, 2012, 2017 and 2018.

He always kept actively engaged in the club’s junior section, whether it was on the green or administratively, behind the scenes.

He was also pro-active with other local bowling associations and was a past president of the Tayside League.

Despite his administrative talents, it would be wrong to dismiss his bowling skills.

John was introduced to the game by his father, Jim, himself a talented bowler.

John picked up the game with enthusiasm, although, like his father, he never won the Club Championship.

Although this is a prestigious competition, this alone does not adequately define talent.

At club level, 2013 was a particularly good year for John, winning the Ballot Pairs with Johnny Readhead and the Open Pairs Plate with David Smeaton, and was part of the Duffus Park Senior team, who won the Cupar and District Round Robin competition.

He also won the Senior Singles in 2011, and played for the club in the Tayside League, Gilmour Trophy and Robertson Trophy, over many years, with the club achieving several successes in these events.

Real success, however, can often be identified by winning County Competitions.

In 2007, along with lead, Dale Wilson, his great friend Bill Chalmers at second and skip, David Smeaton, John won the Fife Fours.

He repeated a Fife success in the Senior Fours in 2019.

John skipped the four, along with Ken Cameron, Rod Ferris and Bob Hutcheon and he was inspirational in his leading of the team and his skill.

They survived many difficult matches along the way, and it could be said that their easiest match was in the final when they defeated Peter McTavish’s Markinch team, 18-9.

The same team played in the Cupar and District Seniors Shield, but this time they had to be content with the runners-up prize after losing to the other Duffus Park team skipped by George Sharp.

John will be, undoubtedly missed at the club, at which he dedicated much of his spare time.

The last event he organised along with his great friend, Fergus Sharp, raised £4015 for the Parkinson’s Charity.

However, the loss is saddest to his daughters, Kerrie and Donna and their families, Cameron, Liam, Ava and Freya and the members of the bowling club wish to extend their sympathies to them.