Obituary: Neil Donachie, accomplished athlete, official and administrator

Neil Donachie, athlete. Born: 27 July, 1933 in West Calder. Died: 2 September, 2021 in Edinburgh, aged 88

Neil Donachie’s love of athletics was central to his life

Neil Donachie was a well known, popular and prominent figure in the world of Scottish athletics over many years in his roles as athlete, official and administrator. A versatile runner who competed at cross country, on the road and the track, his forte was the latter where in his main event, the 880 yards, he twice finished third in the Scottish Championships and won the East District title twice. Other highlights included a second place in a high quality invitation race at the 1955 Edinburgh Highland Games at Murrayfield and representing Edinburgh in the biennial contest against Munich.

Over the country he competed regularly in national and district championships while on the road he ran 11 times in the country’s premier event, the Edinburgh to Glasgow relay, achieving the distinction in 1964 of running the second fastest time of the twenty athletes on his leg of the race.

He was President of the Scottish Amateur Athletics Association, Chair of Edinburgh Athletic Club and the Scottish Athletics League, chief decathlon judge at the 1986 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games and a member of the Jury of Appeal at the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games, while at the same time making a considerable contribution at grassroots level.

As a 15 year-old he started running with the Edinburgh Rover Scouts Club at Spylaw Park, Colinton before joining Braidburn Athletic Club where he won his first trophy, a cup for cross country followed shortly after by winning the Scottish Boys’ Club mile championship at Aberdeen. After success at a British Trades Union competition, in 1953 he was selected to travel to Bucharest to compete in athletics at the World Youth Festival, a pro-democracy anti-war event that attracted 30,000 participants from 111 countries. This was a landmark experience for Neil who from the train en route from Vienna marvelled at the beauty of the Carpathian mountains and the fields of sunflowers and maize while a later visit to the Black Sea was “magical”. Despite evident poverty, he was impressed by the warmth and hospitality of his hosts. On the track Neil was able to watch his hero Emil Zatopek as he himself had the thrill of warming up alongside the Russian great, Vladimir Kuts, with whom he claimed to be on “nodding terms”!’

Cornelius Donachie was born in Mungle Street, West Calder, the younger son of parents Charles and “Pat”. His mother was Dutch, Pietertje her full name, who in 1919 had come with her parents to Dundee where her father worked as foreman in a jute mill. Neil was named after his Dutch grandfather and remained proud of his Dutch roots. With elder brother Peter the family lived initially in very basic accommodation with only cold water, no electricity and shared use of an outside toilet. Due to the Depression Neil’s father had periods of unemployment but after a spell as a miner found work at nearby shale works. Initially Neil attended the local primary school and then West Calder St Mary’s Secondary where he demonstrated ability at essay writing, technical drawing and a love of poetry, the latter encouraged by his mother. The allocation of a new council house in Polbeth made a huge difference to the family’s living standards.

On leaving school at 15, Neil attended the Edinburgh School of Building, taking the first steps in a successful career as a building surveyor with various organisations. His first job was as apprentice painter and decorator after which he attended night classes at Heriot-Watt College, later studying for a Higher National Certificate in Building.

Before that he undertook National Service in the RAF. based at Turnhouse Airport, Edinburgh where he met lifelong close friend and running rival Jack Boyd, one time 880 yards Scottish record holder. Neil and wife Marion would spend many happy times together with Jack and wife Jess at Culzean in Ayrshire where they enjoyed the use of an old boathouse for breaks, with the men training in the lovely Castle grounds.

Neil married Marion Macaulay at Harwood Church, West Calder on 30 January, 1960 and enjoyed over 61 years of happy marriage together during which they had son Andrew. Marion was also an accomplished athlete who later became an official, with much of the couple’s life revolving round athletics events where their presence and contribution was always highly appreciated. Another interest they shared was walking holidays many of which were spent happily at Oberau in Austria while they also made several trips to Australia to visit old athletics friend Bert Carse.

Initially they lived in Corstorphine and East Calder while Neil was employed by local councils. The couple then moved to Hamilton when he secured a post with Strathclyde University before moving back east to Currie when he began employment with the Scottish Institute of Agricultural Engineering at the Bush Estate, Roslin after which he worked for a period with Scottish Homes before retiring. In his working life he was professional, highly thought of and dedicated.

Central to his life was his love of athletics, the many friendships it afforded and the opportunity for travel. He competed in Toronto in 1975 in the first World Masters Championships, visited many athletics venues throughout Europe, and attended Commonwealth Games in Auckland in 1990 and Victoria in 1994.

His personal qualities were recognised in the important positions to which he was appointed, bringing to them his integrity, experience, encouraging and gregarious nature as well as his passion for athletics at all levels. An extremely likeable gent and excellent company, he enjoyed a long life well lived.

He is survived by his wife, son and grandson Ross.

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