Obituary: Dan Orr

Dan Orr, a former bank worker, RAF mechanic, High Constable and charity walker, has died, aged 101.

One of eight children, Mr Orr was born on 7 March, 1908. When he was a teenager, his father – a tailor – would send him on his bike to collect debts around his birthplace of Coldstream.

This provided good training for the young man, who went to work for the Bank of Scotland in 1926, a year after leaving school in Kelso.

After coming top for the Bank of Scotland in the Scottish bank exams, he was moved to the head office in Edinburgh in 1931 to become a trainee inspector, and spent further time in branches before being called up to the RAF.

In 1931, aged 23, he met 17-year-old Winnie Swanston at an Edinburgh Borderers Rugby Club dance. The couple married seven years later in 1938. Winnie died in 2005.

In 1940, in response to a government appeal, Mr Orr volunteered for the Auxiliary Fire Service, where he became a leading fireman.

In 1941, he joined the RAF and was made a leading aircraftsman wireless mechanic.

Initially posted to Shetland to service Beaufighter bombers, he was later sent to the Indian/Burmese border.

He arrived home in January 1946 to meet for the first time his baby daughter Hazel, who was by then seven months old. His second daughter Rosie was born in 1948.

He retired from the bank in 1969 after 43 years of service, having spent many happy years as manager of Leith Walk and Lothian Road branches.

He also served on the council of Edinburgh City Business Club and in 1956 was on a committee of three appointed to find a solution to Edinburgh's traffic problems.

For 30 years he worked as a volunteer with the Edinburgh Cripple Aid Society, helping to run a weekly club for disabled people and giving up one of his weeks of annual leave each year to take them on holiday to Wiston Lodge, near Biggar.

Mr Orr was also a High Constable of Edinburgh from 1952 to 1969, and became Captain of Ward 20, Leith.

A proud grandfather and great-grandfather, Mr Orr's daughter Rosie said he would be "greatly missed" by everyone who knew him.

He remained active late into his life, and last year took part in Edinburgh's Golden Tinsel Mile, a fundraising walk which saw him raise almost 3,000 for Alzheimer Scotland.

Mr Orr's daughters said their father had a very long, full and interesting life and although they will miss him very much, there are grateful he remained so independent and in remarkably good mental and physical health until the end of his life.

A funeral service for Mr Orr is to be held tomorrow in the Lorimer Chapel at Warriston Crematorium, at 12pm.