Former Boots boss dies at 88

Abusinessman who began his 37-year career with Boots in Aberdeen before rising to the top of the pharmacy firm has died aged 88. Sir Gordon Minto Hourston was born in Edinburgh in 1934, the son of independent pharmacist William Hourston. He was educated at Daniel Stewart’s College and then studied dentistry at Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University, before a switch to pharmaceuticals. He became a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in 1957 and joined Boots the following year. Shortly into his career, he was sent to Aberdeen where he met Sheila, whom he married there in 1962. They had two sons, Michael and Steven. During almost four decades with the company he oversaw the introduction of care home dispensing, introduced a service to collect repeat prescriptions from GPs and saw the roll-out of new electronic till systems across all Boots branches. He gained a reputation as an inspirational leader whose time with the organisation dramatically changed its profitability, which saw him repeatedly promoted. He was also known as an ebullient character, whose warm personality, storytelling and good humour could light up any room. A director from 1978, he became deputy managing director in 1984 and served as chairman and managing director between 1988 and 1995. He also chaired the Company Chemists’ Association and was appointed as a fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. After leaving Boots, he became a member of the Armed Forces’ Pay Review body and gained plenty of amusing anecdotes from his time with the troops. One such story involved an outing in an RAF Tornado, after which he emerged, green about the gills, to discover his chauffeur had enjoyed an even worse experience in a flight simulator. After agreeing that he was the least ill of the pair he ended up getting behind the wheel and driving both chauffeur and himself home. He was knighted in 1997 for his services to industry and the armed forces and in 2004 was awarded an honorary doctorate by Robert Gordon University. During his retirement in Deeside – which had previously become a favourite holiday destination – he developed a reputation as a “witty and warm” host. As well as spending time with his six grandchildren, he enjoyed golf, walking, reading and modern history. He died at Aboyne Hospital and is survived by Sheila and their sons.

INSPIRATIONAL LEADER: Sir Gordon Minto Hourston