Charlie Williamson was among the best-dressed men in Montrose and one of the most popular.
He was a courteous Highlander who had spent more than 50 years in Montrose, first as a shop owner and in later life, a barman.
Charlie, who has died aged 90, was never seen without a shirt and tie or formal overcoat, even when going to buy his paper.
At work behind the bar he stood apart not just because of the precision of his manners but for the brightly coloured waistcoats he invariably wore.
His consideration to customers during his time running the shop in Lower Craigo Street was driven by his Christian values.
In half a century in the town he and his late wife, Anne, raised a family of six and Charlie went on to become a grandfather and great-grandfather.
He went to watch Montrose FC but retained a great affection for the old Inverness Caledonian.
As a child his family spent time staying with Charlie’s parents in Muthill where he began his education before a move to Croy near Nairn. He completed his education at Clachnaharry High School in Inverness.
In 1948, his father bought a licensed grocers in Ardersier and, with Charlie’s help, built it in the hub of the village.
He spent his two years’ National Service in the Royal Army Medical Corps before returning to the family business, marrying Anne and going on to have six children: David, John, William and James and Rachael and Charles.
In 1971 the family moved to Montrose and Charlie opened his shop in Lower Craigo Street.
He was known for putting some extras in the delivery boxes of people who knew were not having it easy.
It was, however, for his bar work that Charlie performed his most public role in the town. Among the premises he worked in were the Market, the Three Craws, the Albert, the Star, the George, the Queen Street Club and the Golf Inn.
His son, James, said: “He treated everyone with respect, no matter who they were and he would treat them exactly the same, regardless of their background.
“He was a genuine person. He was honest, truthful and sincere in the way he lived and in the relationships he had with other people.”
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