Sad passing of Guinness-loving centenarian David
LIFELONG lover of Guinness David McGeary, from Musselburgh, has died at the age of 102.
Five days before he passed away peacefully at the East Lothian Community Hospital in Haddington on April 3, he was still living at his home at Musselburgh’s Mansfield Court Sheltered Housing.
He was described as “such an independent man” by his daughter, Connie Crawford.
She said: “He was amazing and tried very, very hard to stay well. He had such a strong will and was remarkable for his age. He was admired by everyone who knew him. He was such a character and had a good sense of humour.”
She added: “He kept good health over the years and was fortunate never to have suffered serious illness.”
A sociable person, he enjoyed visits to local restaurants with relatives for meals and a pint or two of
Guinness, which he had drunk all his adult life, and which his family believed contributed to his long and healthy life.
His 100th birthday was made even more special when he received a gift from Guinness to mark the occasion and “lifelong association” with the drink.
Mr McGeary, who was born on September 8, 1921, in Grove Square, off Rothesay Place in Musselburgh, was one of 10 children, of whom seven lived to reach adulthood – four sons and three daughters.
His parents were David McGeary and Mary Anne (née Storrie).
As a boy, Mr McGeary attended Newbigging School, now Loretto Primary School.
When he was 11, the family moved to Eskview Road in Stoneybank. He was one of only five children his age to be offered a place at Musselburgh Grammar School, which was then a fee-paying school.
His mother felt that he would feel out of place because children who attended there came from “well-todo”
families, so he went to Fisherrow School instead.
In 1935, at the age of 14, he started an apprenticeship as a railway vehicle (wagon) builder and, from the age of 16, he lived in digs in Glasgow to continue his training. When demand for wooden wagons eventually stopped, Mr McGeary became a miner, working in Carberry and Dalkeith collieries.
He met his wife, Margaret Flockhart, when he was 18, in Fords Dance Hall, just off Market Street, and they married at Inveresk Kirk in 1943. They had seven children – five daughters, two of whom have passed away, and two sons.
Mr McGeary’s wife died in 2008 after a long illness.
Their 16 grandchildren, 13 greatgrandchildren and four greatgreat-grandchildren all adored Mr McGeary and he enjoyed spending lots of time with them.
In his forties, he retrained and became a joiner, and was employed at Lowes Farm in Musselburgh.
In his fifties, he moved to London to do loft conversions, returning to Musselburgh when he was 92.
Mr McGeary continued in employment until he was in his seventies but never completely stopped working, loving DIY especially.
An avid reader, he enjoyed cryptic crosswords and sudoku puzzles.
As a young man, he spent his leisure time in local billiard halls and started what became a lifelong hobby in dog and horse racing. He was a regular at the former Wallyford and Powderhall dog tracks, and also at Wimbledon dog track in London.
A celebration of Mr McGeary’s life will take place on Monday at Seafield Crematorium at 11am.