Ex-Provost was very sadly missed
It was a sad day in Paisley when former Provost Thomas Dun Macnair passed away.
Mr Macnair was a well-kent face in the town, more so because of the great number of public engagements he carried out.
But he was also known for his great love of cricket and, perhaps more importantly, for one beneficial act towards town council employees in particular.
For, during his time in office, Mr Macnair introduced the employees’ superannuation, or pension fund.
Ex-Provost Macnair was also the longest practising lawyer in Paisley, having worked for 51 consecutive years before calling it a day, in 1948.
He was an Honorary Sheriff Substitute and held office in the Faculty of Procurators and was Dean for a period of three years.
In his sporting life, he was certain to always be held in high esteem by members of Kelburne Cricket Club, and followers of the team for his valuable service since joining the club in 1925.
It was due in a large measure to his efforts and generosity that Kelburne were blessed with such a splendid ground and pavilion.
His most recent gift to the club, just before his sad passing, was an up-to-the-minute scoreboard.
He was an ex-president of Kelburne CC, and seldom missed a match.
Other interests of Mr Macnair were music and bowling, and he was a member of the Paisley Music Club and, for 30 years, secretary of Priorscroft Bowling Club.
In politics, he was an ardent Liberal, and was Secretary of the Paisley Liberal Association for many years and during his terms of office acted as election agent for the late Sir John McCallum.
In 1920, he acted in a similar capacity for Lord Oxford and Asquith, before performing a similar task for Mr H.H. Asquith.
Mr Macnair was a deacon of the Coats Memorial Church for 40 years, was secretary for many years and was a former president of the YMCA.
He was 85-years-old at the time of his death and was survived by his wife – a sister of the late ex-Provost Ballantyne.
There was a large gathering of family and friends at his funeral, which took place at Woodside Crematorium.