TRIBUTES have poured in for a much loved former president of Gourock Rotary Club who played a full and active role in the community throughout his life.
Archie MacKinlay, who was 81, died recently following a short illness and his funeral will take place this week.
He was also a much loved member of the Greenock Wanderers' family and remembered as one of the club's most gifted ever players.
During his long association with the rotary Archie helped with major fundraising events and latterly played a massive role in supporting Ukrainian refugees and their loved ones back home.
In May this year he presented a UK award to two young people from Gourock, recognising their outstanding achievements.
Archie, a devoted dad and grandfather, had spent a lifetime serving the community he grew up in, on the sports field, professionally as an accountant with Greenock firm Henderson & Co and in the roles he held with various societies.
Gourock Rotary President David Turnbull said: “Archie will be sorely missed in Rotary for his quick wit, the warmth of his personality, his ability to move fundraising projects forward and, most recently, for his encouragement of youth awards.
"He was proud to present awards to two local candidates who excelled at local, district and national levels in the categories of young citizen and young environmentalist.
"His anecdotes and his stories of past district conferences will be recalled in our club for the rest of our days."
Archie was born in 1941, the son of Captain Archibald MacKinlay OBE of the Merchant Navy and wife Elizabeth.
With his father at sea, his early years were spent in Millport with his mother before moving back to Greenock in Brougham Street at the end of the war.
The family was completed by the birth of his sister Dorothy.
As a young man he was educated at Greenock Academy, making lifelong friends and discovering rugby amongst other sports.
After leaving school he settled on accountancy as a profession, working with Henderson and Co for 50 years.
He married his wife Pat, a nurse, in May 1970 and they soon welcomed their daughter Marna, now a GP. Tragically their happiness was cut short when Pat sadly died in October 1972.
With support from family and friends, Archie embraced life as a single father before happily going on to meet partner Pamela and the couple went on to marry in 1977, living in Langbank and then Greenock.
Following his death Greenock Wanderers posted an emotional tribute remembering a great player.
The club said that as a scrum half he was considered one of its most colourful characters and finest players of the 1960s.
His talents were recognised with selection for Glasgow District between 1964 and 1968, which in those amateur days placed players on the edge of international recognition.
After his 1st XV days were over, he assisted with player development and coaching and went on to serve as club president in 1993-94.
Friend and past president John Dyer said: "I knew Archie from our days at Greenock Academy. He will be so missed by all at the club, he was gregarious and larger than life.
"He was always the first to offer to support anyone and attend events that people were organising."
As well as rugby Archie was involved in cricket, fishing and curling.
Beyond sport, his interests were wide and varied. Through his career he took on many positions of office, being elected President of Greenock Academicals, The Rotary Club of Gourock (twice), Gourock Burns Club, Muirdykes Curling Club and President of the Innerkip Society.
Most recently, following the start of the war in Ukraine war, he organised a concert in Gourock's Gamble Halls, a Borsch night in the rugby club and linked the Rotary Club of Gourock with the Rotary Club of Mykolaiv.
Family man Archie enjoyed a particularly close relationship with his son-in-law Matt and was devoted to his three grandchildren Lottie, 19, Archie, 17, and Bel, 15, all of whom play rugby.
His great friend Geoff Orr has paid tribute to Archie along with his close friend Jim Blair.
Retired Inverclyde Royal surgeon Geoff said: "Archie was one of life’s characters, larger than life itself. He will be missed more than than we yet know. "
The funeral service for Archie will take place at Greenock Crematorium on Thursday October 12 at 2pm.
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