Obituary: Ian Reid Strachan
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Ian was the third of eight children born to George and Hilda Strachan of Muirden, Turriff.
Brought up on the farm he saw the dramatic transition from horse to tractor while studying at Turriff Academy where he was described by one of his teachers as the brightest pupil he’d known.
He won a bursary to Aberdeen University where he gained a first-class honours in Physics, studying under the war time legend Prof RV Jones.
What looked to be a promising technical career at Ferranti in Edinburgh was interrupted by National Service where he won a commission just before being demobbed.
But then came a change of direction when he joined the Colonial Service and went to work in Malawi, then Nyasaland, eventually as ADC to the District Governor.
Ian was fascinated by people and had a strong sense of fairness.
Throughout his life he was known as a good attentive listener.
During the tense years when pressure for independence throughout the UK’s colonies was growing, Ian established a relationship with Dr Banda, then leader of the movement for independence, which smoothed Banda’s awkward engagement with the colonial administration.
He continued to work in Malawi after independence was granted in 1964 and was awarded the MBE for his outstanding service.
He met his future wife, Judith, at a party hosted by her father who had been recruited to serve as founding principal of the new University of Malawi.
Their stay in Malawi together was short lived as Ian was expelled at 24 hours’ notice by Dr Banda in 1967.
However, they were permitted to visit Malawi subsequently and to recall some of the happiest periods of his working life.
Returning suddenly to London with no job was a challenge for a man in his early forties, but Ian found a post with Lanarkshire Council before eventually moving to Perth where he was a popular deputy head of administration in Perth and Kinross Council.
His characteristic sense of fairness, his sense of humour and his interest in people ensured harmonious management of the politics of local government.
A colleague tells of a meeting where councillors learned of the cost of losing an appeal against their earlier decision to reject a planning application, which they had done against Ian’s advice.
Ian unfurled a large banner which said ‘I told you so’.
An insatiable explorer, Ian used his holidays before he was married to travel widely, America, the Far East, and Africa.
He bought a small aeroplane and flew it from England to Malawi, losing direction sometimes and emergency landing by the Suez canal.
He continued traveling throughout his life and well into retirement.
With Judith he volunteered to monitor elections in South Africa, Bosnia and many other countries.
They travelled to the base camp on Everest.
In his early seventies he cycled from Lands End to John O’Groats with no prepared plans for accommodation along the way.
A worried Judith was astonished to get a cheery call from Ian on the first night at a party to which the local vicar had invited him.
Despite his illness in later life he remained good company, entertaining many visitors at home, cheerful, positive and eager for good conversation with his many friends and family, tolerant of others’ views but passionate about fairness and social justice to the end.
He died in Cornhill Hospice in Perth on October 8 surrounded by family.
He is survived by Judith, John, Joanna, Fergus, his six grandchildren, four sisters and a brother, and many nephews and nieces, all of whom will remember a man whose cheerful presence made their lives the richer.
