Mr Douglas Davidson or Doug as he was affectionately knownto relatives and close friends, passed away peacefully in Blairgowrie on 1 February 2018, aged 89.
Born in August 1928, Douglas attended the High School of Dundee until 1947 when he then went on to study at Dundee School of Pharmacy. Come 1951, he became a registered Pharmacist and shortly thereafter began working in the family’s pharmaceutical business in Blairgowrie, which was the base for his entire professional life. He was the third generation of Davidsons to manage the family business, Walter Davidson & Sons Limited (Davidsons Chemists).
For more than half a century, Douglas worked as a practicing pharmacist. He had a particular interest in community pharmacy and veterinary pharmacy and additionally held various offices, specifically in the health and pharmacy sectors, at local, regional and national (UK) levels. He was a member of the Board of Perthshire General Hospitals and later the Tayside Health Board. Additionally, he became a Council Member of The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain for a number of years in the 1980s.
Douglas followed in the family tradition of serving the local community in public office and was a Baillie and Town Councillor of Blairgowrie, holding the posts of Senior Baillie, Treasurer and Dean of Guild, and for many years also a Justice of the Peace for Perthshire. He undertook a keen and active role in advancing the interests of the Blairgowrie area, involving himself in a variety of bodies with that aim.
Additionally, he dedicated a lot of his spare time to local organisations and held a number of posts as a result, including that of President and Secretary for the Blairgowrie Rotary Club and Founder and Chairman of the Blairgowrie Round Table. He was also the recipient of the Paul Harris Medal due to his contribution to his local Rotary Club.
Possessing an extremely strong work and public service ethic, allied with his commitment to and passion for pharmacy, Douglas had a reputation for great kindness and integrity. He was held in extremely high regard and was thought of with great affection throughout the local community and the wider professional community.
Until about a year ago, when health issues curtailed his activities somewhat, he could be found most days at work in his office in the company’s Blairgowrie headquarters or out visiting one of the branches. Despite suffering from ill health, his indomitable spirit was not diminished.
Douglas was sadly predeceased by his wife Avril in 2004 but is survived by his daughter, Gail, and his son, Graeme.
