His family was struck by heartache when his daughter Jackie died from cancer in 2009.
But yesterday, hotelier Stewart Spence was celebrating new life – in the shape of grandson Elliot and the colourful flowers and shrubs taking root at Aberdeen’s new Maggie’s centre.
Mr Spence and his family donated the garden for the new building in memory of Jackie, who was only 35 when she died, and will pay for its upkeep for the next 10 years.
By then, her son Elliot will be 17 and the family hopes he will be taking over the reins of his mother’s charitable trust and continuing the good work she started when she was alive.
Mr Spence, who announced yesterday that Aberdeen’s only five-star hotel – the Marcliffe at Pitfodels – would be closing, said it was a proud moment for the family.
“It’s really nice to have something lasting here that will remind us of Jackie,” he said.
“Hopefully, when Elliot is older, he will want to continue what we have started as a family.
“I think Jackie would have loved the garden – to know that it will be helping other families in the future. She did so much charity work herself before she died, so it means a lot for us to be able to carry that on in her name.”
Miss Spence, who ran the Broadstraik Inn, near Westhill, had surgery and 20 rounds of radiotherapy after specialists discovered a lump on her neck was malignant melanoma in 2008.
In July 2009, she was diagnosed with stage four malignant melanoma – a severe form of skin cancer – and was told the disease had reached her liver.
Her mother, Sheila, who had previously battled breast cancer, was her main carer before she moved into Aberdeen’s Roxburghe House.
She died in December 2009, when Elliot was just three.
The Spence family were enthusiastic supporters of Monty’s Maggie’s Appeal – the £3million campaign to bring the centre to Aberdeen – and hosted events on behalf of Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres and the Elizabeth Montgomerie Foundation.
Miss Spence’s brother, Craig – a landscape gardener – created the grounds around the new centre at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, which was officially opened by the Duchess of Rothesay last month, and her mother travelled from her new home in Spain to see his handiwork yesterday.