Varied life of Guider Anne
Crafter and Forth Valley Guiding stalwart Anne Hunter has died at the age of 71.
Anne (nee Law), most recently of Dunipace, was depute head of the radiography department in Falkirk Royal Infirmary for several years.
But over more than 40 years she was also a stalwart figure in Guiding, arts and crafts and other areas of community life.
She met her future husband Robert, who was a Scout leader, when she was asked to take over as Ranger Guide Leader of the Carronglen Raven Unit in March 1977.
In 1979 Anne also successfully completed an Open University degree course. She gave up full-time work in the early 1980s after children Alison and Iain were born.
Her interest and skills in knitting then prompted a career change into crafts and design and in 1983 Anne was nominated to represent the traders’ interests on the Denny/Bonnybridge Project.
Anne chaired the Young Women’s Group in Dunipace Church, with her more ‘hands-on’ contribution seen in her design and implementation of panels for a tapestry which still hangs in the church.
In the 1980s, along with three other craftworkers, Anne had helped establish the Whinwell Weavers in Broad Street in Stirling. This, with Anne’s drive and enthusiasm, would develop into the Ochil Crafts Association, which she chaired for many years and still thrives today.
Her expertise continued to develop, when she enrolled along with her mother in a knitwear design course at Cardonald College.
For many years, encouraged by her father, Anne was a member of the St Andrew’s Ambulance Association and in later years, along with Robert, she attended events to provide first aid support.
In 1995 Anne completed a year-long IT course in Grangemouth, came top of the class, and was offered a place on a degree course at Glasgow Caledonian University. At this time she also took over as coordinator for the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme in Denny.
In following years, her IT skills saw her appointed to a post in the Clackmannanshire Women’s Technology Centre in Alloa.
Anne had a lifelong connection with the canals and remembered being stopped at Lock 16, on her way to Falkirk High School, as a fishing boat went through. Robert was the lead officer in Central Regional Council, promoting the revival of the canal network and Anne shared this same enthusiasm.
In 1982, having been inspired by the work of the Seagull Trust at Ratho, along with her mother and the Bantaskin Guides, she helped raise significant funds to purchase a boat for Falkirk.
Anne also shared a passion for music with her family, travelling throughout the UK to see Neil Diamond, Status Quo, Bon Jovi, Meatloaf and the Rolling Stones.
Her health had deteriorated in recent years and she suffered a major stroke in May 2018, leaving her paralysed and unable to speak.
Anne never recovered from this terrible blow and passed away on January 10.
Her funeral service on January 28 was attended by numerous family and friends, who represented all the organisations with which she had been associated, in both her professional career and voluntary sector commitments.