Ann will be sadly missed by everyone
Tributes have been paid to a long-standing Hamilton hairdresser who died suddenly last week.
Ann Sinclair, who owned the popular Shears salon on Brandon Street, passed away at Hairmyres Hospital following a blood clot on February 6.
Her sudden death has devastated husband Hugh, daughters Michelle and Debbie, two grandsons Callum and Adam and brother David – as well as her many friends and extended family.
Born in August 1959 to Donald and Annie Houston in Hamilton, she met and married Hugh Sinclair on June 1, 1979 at Auchingramont Church, Hamilton.
They were happily married for 43 years, sharing their life together at Limetree Cottage, Burnbank, for the last 41 years.
Ann was a popular face in her hometown, training as a hairdresser and first working at Men Only in Hamilton before opening her own shop, Shears, in 1985, directly next door to her dad’s pub – the former Bickering Bush (now Roxy’s).
In 2012, she closed the doors of the popular salon to spend more time with her family and grandchildren.
Heartbroken daughters Michelle and Debbie told the Advertiser: “Mum just adored her grandsons and they adored her.
“She loved spending time with them and going on family holidays.
“Shears was such a popular place back in the day and the girls that worked with her were there for the majority of the time she had the shop, and they remained good friends.
“She was also known for taking lots of pupils from Hamilton Grammar, where she had attended back in the day, for work experience and it wasn’t uncommon for my sister and I to bump into our teachers getting their hair cut on a Saturday morning.
“We couldn’t get up to anything at school without her finding out.
“Recently, she loved assisting our dad with his school taxi contract taking kids to schools in the area. The rest of her time was dedicated to helping her family and spending time with us all. Her family were her world.”
Ann was a proud former Miss Daily Record back in 1984 and won a motorbike in the annual competition.
Her sister-in-law, Karen Sinclair, described Ann as “beautiful inside and out,” adding: “Ann spent so much time looking after everyone else before herself. She had such a beautiful kind heart. I was proud to have her as a friend and sister-in-law. Words cannot describe how much she will be missed.”
And friend Alison Paterson added: “My full working life was spent with my boss, Ann, for 24 years and in all honestly, no one else would have put up with my timekeeping.
“My fondest memories were our nights out, which always started well with great intentions of coming home at a reasonable hour – that never happened!
“Hugh had the patience of a saint and was always the taxi driver! I remember one night we went to the bingo in Hamilton and were asked to leave half way through for talking too much. It was a great laugh.
“She will be deeply missed.” Ann’s funeral takes place on Monday, February 21, at 12pm at Hamilton Old Parish Church, then on to the Bent Cemetery at 1pm and to the Avonbridge afterwards.
The family would like to thank Young’s Funeral Services, Hamilton, for their support at this difficult time, and to Rev Ross Blackman for his spiritual comfort.