Another of those remembered on the bench overlooking Greyhope Bay is Alexander McGregor. Born in Torry on October 1 1960, he lived there all his life.
The youngest of Betty and Jimmy McGregor’s brood of three boys and a girl he attended Victoria Road Primary and Torry Academy.
Later becoming a train driver, Alex – as he was always known – became involved with the union. Standing up for the rights of people was a natural fit for the big-hearted optimist who was latterly a Scotrail conductor.
Proud dad
In 1991 Alex married Karen Bird and later that year daughter Danielle came along.
The apple of his eye, Danielle was a daddy’s girl from birth.
“He was my best friend. A really nice family man. He always put my mum first and was always hopeful,” said Danielle, who is currently on maternity leave.
“I always remember my dad saying ‘just count to 10 and it will all be fine.’ Or ‘six months from now you’ll be worried about something else, this will pass..’ He was the anchor of our family.”
Fought ’til the end
Alex passed away on January 5 2020 after defying doctors’ predictions of only having six weeks to live in November 2018.
“We thought we’d only have him another wee while but he just kept going. However, from May 2019 dad became paralysed. He was adamant he wanted to be at home so mum and I did our best to look after him. He was such a fighter,” she added.
For Danielle, the thought of losing her dad was unthinkable. More than once she begged him to stay with her but as 2019 drew to an end Alex steeled himself for what was to come.
“One day he just said, ‘Danielle… I think we can get through Christmas and New Year but this is it kid, you need to let me go.’ It was devastating.”
On the night of January 4 Karen called her daughter to come home immediately.
“I went straight over. He wasn’t well and his breathing was different. I took his hand, gave him a bosie and said ‘okay dad, you’ve suffered enough.’
“I really think he held on held on until I was ready. That’s who my dad was… everybody else before himself,” Danielle added.
Special bench
When it came to finding a place to remember Alex, there was only ever one place.
“Dad loved Torry, he loved the Battery and looking over the bay. It was a place he would visit regularly. Dad’s best friend Michael Murray also has a family plaque on the bench in memory of his mum, Mary.
“It was my dad who screwed that plaque on, for Mike’s family.
“So when it was dad’s 60th we went up there, set off a balloon and Mike repaid the favour by screwing on dad’s plaque.
“That bench is special. You sit there and you can pay your respects to so many people. I feel like my dad is sitting with me.”
A place to remember Alex
And now the memorial bench is a place where Danielle’s son – Alex’s first grandchild, Reuben – will learn about his granddad.
“It’s always freezing there but it is a place of comfort for us. My partner, Simon, and I will take Reuben there. He’s actually the double of my dad – it’s just a shame they never met one another. Though I believe my dad is looking out for Reuben.”