The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Ex-businessman and BB stalwart George Cowie
George Cowie, who gave a lifetime of service to the community in Culter, has died aged 83. He had a 72-year association with the 47th Aberdeen (Culter) Company the Boys’ Brigade, where he served as captain and also tutored the company’s pipe band.
George was property convener of Peterculter Parish Church, president of Culter Mills Bowling Club and DISC at Banchory, a community councillor and respected businessman.
George was born in August 1938 to paper mill worker Arthur Cowie and his wife Elizabeth (Anderson) and he was educated at Culter School.
When he left, George began a five-year joinery apprenticeship with Poddy Thain.
In 1959, just as national service was ending, George was called up and undertook clerical work in Aden before going on to serve in the intelligence office in Oman.
It was at Culter School, in primary seven, that George had met his future wife, Tessa Mckenzie.
They began courting when he was 15 and the couple married at St Peter’s Church in December 1961.
Their first home was a flat in Bucksburn where their first child, Lindsay, was born on their second wedding anniversary.
Shortly after, the couple bought land at South Avenue, Cults, where George built a bungalow.
Their daughter, Judith, was born in May 1966.
As a joiner, George rose to become a foreman with Charlie Moncur, then in 1969 he joined the local authority in Aberdeen to oversee council house repairs.
In 1971, together with two friends, George started Speedmill Services, a general building firm.
Around the same time, George also bought a shop unit on the main road in Culter and converted it into a successful dry cleaning business.
A bad hand injury forced George to sell the dry cleaning business in 1977 and, from 1995, he started working for himself.
He had become a member of the 47th Boys’ Brigade aged 11 where he received bagpipe tuition from Stuart Reid.
George moved through the ranks of the company and became captain from 1967 to 1970.
George spent many an hour in his gardens and he was awarded the best all-year-round garden in the Culter Garden Competition in 2015, 2017 and 2019.