Charity pioneer dies aged 104

Charity pioneer Ann Dargie Mackintosh has died at the age of 104. Mrs Mackintosh, nee Strachan, was born in Forfar in 1914 and her father was wellknown coal and wood merchant James D Strachan.

She was educated at Forfar Academy and was one of the first people in Angus to pass her driving test when the legislation was introduced in 1935.

She married Arbroath solicitor William J Mackintosh in 1944 and they lived in Carnoustie.

Mrs Mackintosh was divisional commissioner for the Girl Guides in Carnoustie, Monifieth and Muirhead before taking on other roles.

The couple moved to Arbroath in the early 1950s and it was in the 60s that Mrs Mackintosh took up a teaching job.

She worked at Linlathen High School in Dundee for 10 years as a domestic science teacher.

A founder member of the Macmillan Cancer Support Arbroath committee in 1972, Mrs Mackintosh was a lifelong supporter of Macmillan and continued to play an active part in fundraising well into her 90s.

Despite never wishing to hold office, she worked to raise awareness and understanding of Macmillan, pioneered charitable trust applications and played a key role in the development of the committee.

During that period the Arbroath committee raised more than £600,000 and 10 years ago she was awarded Macmillan’s highest award for leadership, the Richard Hambro Award.

Mrs Mackintosh was also a long-time friend of Lord and Lady Fraser and their family. Her husband died in 1980. In her later years she was not afraid of new technology. She was taught how to use social media and got an iPad which she used to surf the internet and look at Facebook so she could keep in touch with people.

Mrs Mackintosh also kept in touch with her far-flung family with various trips to the south of England and the US where she made friends in Boston.

She lived independently in Keptie Street in Arbroath until five years ago when she moved in with her daughter. She spent the last 10 months of her life at the Tigh-Na-Muirn care home.

She is survived by three children, six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Her funeral takes place at St Andrew’s Church, Arbroath, on October 24.

Forfar-born Ann Dargie Mackintosh was a lifelong supporter of Macmillan