Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Tributes pour in for beloved pub landlord
Tributes to popular landlord who lost life to Covid
The Petersburn community paused to remember a popular local figure as he was laid to rest on Saturday.
George Mccrone, the owner of the area’s Four Isles bar for the past 35 years, died at the age of 72 having contracted Covid-19.
Relatives of the dad-of-five, who was known as Geordie, led the tributes – calling him“a kind-hearted and incredible man [and] a big character who was loved and respected by so many”.
His funeral procession paused outside his pub, a focal point of the community, where a piper played a lament and friends laid flowers in his honour.
Warm tributes have been paid to a well-known Airdrie pub owner who has died aged 72 after contracting Covid-19.
George Mccrone, known as Geordie, had owned the Four Isles bar for the past 35 years and was a popular member of the Petersburn community, staging regular Christmas and Easter parties for children and older people in the area.
The dad-of-five’s devastated extended family say they “feel as if we’ve been robbed” by his loss, just as he had planned to enjoy his retirement in his new dream home.
His funeral took place on Saturday and the cortege took a poignant pause at the Four Isles, where a piper played and friends and customers left flowers in his honour.
Daughter Linsey Mccreadie said: “We’re just devastated; you see other families go through this, but when it comes to your own door, you realise how people feel when you can’t have everyone together and have that comfort.
“We’ve been overwhelmed by all the support and condolences from the community and we’ve had so many messages from people saying that the place won’t be the same without him.
“In our family, my dad was the strong one who was always there for anyone with a problem.
“He loved parties and having the family all together at his house, and he was a larger-than-life character.”
One of eight siblings, George was born at Roughcraig Street in Airdrie in February 1949 and attended Chapelside Primary and Airdrie High.
His first job was assisting with van deliveries for Dalziel bakery while still at school.
He then went on to complete a joinery apprenticeship at local firm Borland, before establishing his own building business which he ran for decades.
George is survived by his three sons and two daughters, 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild, and his loving partner Pauline.
He had realised a special ambition by becoming owner of the Four Isles, with Linsey saying: “He used to live just down the road and it was his dream to own it, so he wanted to go for it when the opportunity came up 35 years ago.
“It’s the hub of the community – every year there would be a Christmas party for kids where they would get a selection box from Santa, there would be events for pensioners and even in the past year he would go round delivering steak pies to older customers to make sure they were okay.
“He would pop in every day and people are saying that the pub won’t be the same when it opens without him; he was a big character and someone people would go to for advice.
“It’s a terrible time, especially not being able to go there to have a celebration of his life.
“We know there are so many customers who have lost loved ones and also want to be able to do that too for their families when that’s possible.”
George had suffered a fall in October and in January underwent a successful operation for a bleed on his brain.
However, he then had to spend the past five weeks back in hospital, latterly ventilated in intensive care.
Linsey said: “The operation went well because he was so fit – he walked everywhere and had gone swimming every day – but then he was in and out of hospital, and then he contracted Covid.
“He was so careful, doing everything by the book and had been shielding since his operation – it’s been a horrible time, visiting at the hospital window and then only being able to see him over Facetime.”
She added: “He was looking forward to his retirement; he’d just finished his new house and had been looking forward to sitting outside in the sun. He loved his guitar too – he taught himself to play it over a couple of years and loved it, and even sang with his grandson at his 70th birthday party.
“My dad was a great character and the nurses at both Monklands and Queen Elizabeth hospitals talked about how he’d have them in stitches laughing.”
George’s granddaughter Carly Cox also paid tribute to her “wonderful papa”, saying: “He was such a kind-hearted and incredible man, a big character and was loved and respected by so many.
“In these hard times he won’t get the send-off he deserves, but he was a huge part of the Petersburn community and touched the lives of so many people.”
George’s funeral took place on Saturday morning, and stopped outside the Four Isles ahead of a service at Mclaren’s in Airdrie; after which he was laid to rest at St Joseph’s cemetery.
He was such a kind-hearted and incredible man, and was loved and respected by so many