Born: 
16/12/1921
Died: 
29/05/2009
Specialty: 
Dermatology
Designatory Letters: 
MB Aberd 1944, MRCP Edin 1950, FRCP Edin 1976

(Based on information generously provided by Mr David Hamilton)

John McConachie, a proud son of the NE of Scotland and Aberdeen in particular, has died 65 years after qualifying in Medicine and 64 years after marrying his dear wife Margaret, a fellow medical student and sportswoman with a sprint record to her name that stood for over 40 years. John came of a family as well known for its church connections, athletic and golf achievements as for its medical skills.

Like many before him, John had scarcely qualified in 1944 when he was ‘called up’ and told he was destined to service in the Far East. Apart from seeing a warship sunk in harbour he saw no shots fired in anger but, every bit as harrowing, he was called upon to care for released POWs and a captured Japanese officer en route to a war crimes trial and eventual execution, as well as troops returning to Britain or Australia.

The Indian sub-continent was a tense and at times frightening place as religious and racial unrest and riots broke out prior to and after the creation of Pakistan with the division of the India. Inevitably on his many travels across India and today’s Pakistan he encountered violence, hatred and suspicion, often because he was a white officer. He liked to talk of those days but one sensed that his eventual return home came as a great relief.

His ambition had long been to specialise in dermatology, combining it with general practice but that proved impossible and after a short time he chose to devote himself exclusivelyto general practice in Lossiemouth, working as so many did in those days, from his house, making himself available to do home visits by day or night, delivering babies at home and, with his wife, serving as medical officers at Gordonstoun School (where Prince Philip and Prince Charles were educated)

Retiring in 1981 at age 60 he became as famous as a golfer and golf historian as he had been a doctor and churchman. He took to writing like a fish to water and saw three books published, much work done on his family tree, the lineages of famous race horses, and spent wonderfully happy times with his family and their children.

He is survived by his wife and will be remembered with much affection by thousands of folk for whom he was doctor or partner on the golf course over so many years.