The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
‘Scottish sweetie lady’
Former first lady of Perth and Kinross, Inverness-born Sheila Culliven (Mackenzie), has died aged 84.
She helped husband, Provost John Culliven, represent the district from 1996 and until 1999, often meeting royalty, attending conferences and visiting schools.
Sheila and John ran a guest house in Calvine from where Sheila operated a knitwear business.
The couple met in Sheila’s native Inverness 68 years ago and would have celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary later this year.
John said: “Sheila just loved the people of Perth and Kinross and I am delighted her name will live on in Culliven Court in Perth which bears her name.
“She was a beautiful woman who never had a bad word to say about anyone. I just loved the lassie.”
Sheila was born in Inverness in September 1938 to rail worker Roderick Mackenzie and his wife Isabella and grew up with older sisters Rhoda, Margaret and Patricia.
Her father served with the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders during the Second World War and was part of the 51st Highland Division that was taken into captivity at St Valery.
She was little more than a baby when he left for war and did not see her father, who had signed for Ayr United before the war, for the next six years.
Sheila was educated at Crown school and then Inverness Royal Academy. When she left school she began work at the drapers, Cameron’s Economic Stores in High Street, and later WH Smith.
At the age of 17 she met her future husband, John, an apprentice plumber a year her senior.
John had been fitting a boiler at her parents’ house and the pair bumped into each other around the city before meeting at the dancing and going out steady.
They married at St Mary’s Church, Inverness, in 1958, where Sheila helped run the youth club. The couple went on to have four boys over the years; Graham, Scott, Craig and Gavin.
Early married life was interrupted when John was called up for National Service.
As a boy growing up in Roybridge, he had watched the commando monument being built at nearby Spean Bridge. He was also there to watch the Queen Mother unveil it.
It seemed natural for him to join the Royal Marines and he emerged as the best recruit to complete the punishing commando course. He joined 40 Commando and served in Malta and north Africa.
On his return to civilian life, John joined AJ Russell plumbers of Inverness and was sent to cover the Drumnadrochit area. The
“She never had a bad word to say about anyone