A respected north-east diver has died in Gran Canaria, just weeks after being diagnosed with cancer.
Ian Gray-Taylor and his wife Colleen left their home near Daviot, Oldmeldrum last year and moved to Las Palmas, for a new life in the sun.
But earlier this year Mr Gray-Taylor began complaining of a sore stomach, and although he initially thought it was an ulcer, tests revealed he had oesophageal cancer.
Speaking from their home in Spain, his devastated wife said: “In four weeks, he was dead.
“It was very quick and sudden. Up until two or three days before he died, he was complaining about being stuck in hospital because he was feeling so good he wanted to go home. It all just happened so quickly.”
The 64-year-old was well-known in the north-east, through his time as a commercial diver with Comex and then as operations manager with the National Hyperbaric Centre in Aberdeen.
Outwith work, he was also a familiar face in the cars circuit, and was a founding member of the Aberdeen TVR Car Club.
“He was really into sports cars,” Mrs Gray-Taylor said. “When he came out here he found there was a classic car club and became a member, and was very happy showing off his car.
“Ian also loved shooting. He was a member of a shooting syndicate, and really enjoyed the social side of it. Give him cars, shooting and his dog and he was a happy man.”
Mr Gray-Taylor moved to Aberdeen after leaving the Royal Navy in the mid 1970s, where he was a diver working on bomb and mine disposal jobs.
The proud Yorkshire man began workings a commercial diver for Comex, where he met his wife-to-be.
During his time with the firm, Mr Gray-Taylor was part of a team commended for their quick-thinking after they saved a diver involved in an underwater explosion. The trained diving paramedic did a tracheotomy, and helped save the victim’s life.
He later set up his own company, IG-T Drilling, carrying out work for oil and drilling companies all over the world – including Las Palmas.
Mrs Gray-Taylor, 60 – who has decided to stay on the island despite her tragic loss – said: “He worked here on and off for five years. I came out with him and loved it so we decided to retire here.
“We were both learning Spanish, and met some lovely people here.
“Ian had a couple of jobs on, and up until the week before he died he had been discussing a job in the Bahamas at the end of March, because he believed everything was going to be fine.”
Friends and old neighbours have also paid tribute to Mr Gray-Taylor.
Hamish Peterson knew Mr Gray-Taylor for 30 years through work, and was also a member of the same shooting syndicate.
The 61-year-old, who is managing director of KD Marine in Aberdeen, said: “He was very well-known in the wider diving industry.
“He was well known, was a consultant and he was mainly a consultant in diving and underwater safety projects and represented most of the drilling contractors in the industry and did work for various oil companies specifically BP.
“He was also a very friendly, fair and proper guy as well, and knew lot of people in the area.”
Former neighbour Phil Bremner said Mr Gray-Taylor had been a regular in the Smiddy Bar in Daviot, and that fellow regulars could not believe the news.
He said: “It’s really sad, he sold up here to go and retire in Las Palmas. They were so looking for to it, especially Colleen.
“They had a wonderful time there in the last six months, it’s just so sad.
“He was instrumental in doing a lot of things around here. He was such a fine guy.”
A memorial service will be held in Aberdeen for Mr Gray-Taylor at a later date.