The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Dundee-born civil engineer and businessman Douglas Smith, 72
Civil engineer and businessman Douglas Alexander Harvey Smith has died at the age of 72.
Born at Fernbrae Hospital in Dundee in 1947, Mr Smith was educated at Dundee High School.
On leaving school he attended Dundee College of Technology where he studied civil engineering, gaining a first class honours degree.
After college he joined Babtie, Shaw and Morton in Glasgow as a civil engineer.
After two years in Glasgow he worked as assistant resident engineer on a water supply project in Evanton near Dingwall.
When he finished his contract in Evanton he sat his professional exams and was awarded membership of the Institute of Civil Engineers, becoming a chartered civil engineer.
He joined Bett Brothers as an engineer, where he met Allan Torbet, and a few years later, in 1975, they started up their own company, Torith Limited.
Torith was involved in a number of large contracts throughout Scotland over the next 40 years and at its peak had 250 employees.
The pinnacle of Mr Smith’s career was when he had the opportunity to buy Drumoig and he took the chance to design, build and run his own golf course.
He was often found out on the course in his boilersuit seeding the fairways or building walls.
Golf was his passion. He was a single-figure handicap golfer nearly all of his life, with his handicap under five for the majority of that time.
Mr Smith was a member of Downfield
Golf Club for more than 60 years, including 12 years as greens convener. He was also a member of Panmure Barry for a similar length of time.
Later he joined Strathpeffer Golf Club and Blairgowrie Golf Club and remained a member of them all until his death.
He was also a keen shot and joined a shooting syndicate at Lour, where he was a member for more than 30 years.
Mr Smith was a life member of the Grampian Club and had a love for the Scottish hills. He was also a member of the Western Club, Dundee Curling Club, West End Angling Club and was also a stonemason and a bonnetmaker.
He is survived by his wife Aileen, whom he married in 1980 at Strathmartine Church, his daughters Katherine and May, and his granddaughters Isla and Hannah.