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Daniel Stewart’s & Melville College Former Pupils Club
Obituaries... Jim Macpherson (S 1952 ) (Died 24th August, 2015)
Don McCubbing (S 1984 ) (Died 11th September, 2015)
Memories from Jimmy Cook:
Don followed his father and grandfather by attending Daniel Stewart’s until in 1976 when he had to leave as his father, John, moved to work in Sheffield. There he attended the local comprehensive school until going to Nottingham University to study Zoology. This was followed by a Masters degree from King’s College, London in Aquatic Resource Management
I knew Jim from University days when we both did a degree in Agriculture graduating in 1957. We both then went off to do National Service and we finished up in the same Regiment, Royal Signals in Catterick where we both played Rugby for the Signals and finished up winning the Army Cup in ‘59. I know Jim captained the Stewart’s team at some time and played alongside Billy Relph, Chubby Armstrong, Grant Weatherstone and the Sharps. He also played for Edinburgh against the Springboks. I know he left a silver swagger stick to the School CCF. I think he got it from Johnnie Henderson (sports master Melville) who was his next door neighbour in Corstorphine. I came back to farming and Jim joined a company which specialized in silage towers. He married in ‘62 but divorced after about 10-14 years when he lived down South. He finally worked for New Holland, got married again to Christine, and retired to the South of France. There he became great friends with Nathan Hines who played rugby in France for Perpignan. Jim was born on 2nd September, 1934 and he died sadly form a brain tumour on 24th August, 2015. I went down to see him the week before he died but was unable to go to his funeral which was held on 7th September, 2015 at Bentley Crematorium, Colchester, attended by his sister Una, Christine, and his first wife Elise and their family. Jimmy Cook. Fred McLeod also wrote with similar rugby memories of Jim, having played with him and particularly recalls an incident “in a match against Aberdeen Grammar School FP, which was always played on a Monday evening at Inverleith. There was an early confrontation at a line -out , with Jimmy opposed by a 20 stone prop who also played for the North and Midlands. At the following line-out, Jimmy managed to land a fearsome blow on his opponent, leaving him flat out. The Aberdeen prop was later removed from the pitch on a stretcher, never to return that evening. There were no replacements in those days.”
By this time Don knew that his passion was to spend his life in fisheries. He moved to the Environment Agency working in the Lake District where he was involved with fish counter work. After a few years he emigrated to British Columbia, Canada. What he achieved there is best described on his company’s website under the heading of Founder of Instream Fisheries Research Inc. “Don emigrated to Canada in 1997 with the goal of starting his own fisheries consulting firm. His vision was for a business that focused on research and development using creative methods and technologies to improve our understanding and management of salmonid populations. Instream’s first project was on the Keogh River; and this project continues today and constitutes the world’s longest running dataset on the population dynamics of steelhead trout. Over the next 18 years Don built his company into a leader in fish enumeration, particularly the application of resistivity fish counters. Don’s passion was fish and he worked tirelessly pursuing novel methods to effectively manage and conserve salmon. He had a magnetic personality and built relationships with like-minded people from all sectors including government, industry and First Nations. His strong moral code and vision of environment sustainability was an example to all who knew him.” In 2014 he won a contract with Marine Scotland Science to evaluate the use of fish counters on Scottish rivers. This gave him great pleasure to link the two countries he loved. Outwith his work he was an accomplished skier, wonderful cook and a truly hospitable host. When diagnosed with cancer at the end of 2014 his determination to fight this was amazing. Like everything in his life he approached it with grace and his
characteristic optimism that “it will all work out.” In May he travelled with his wife and twin girls to Japan to deliver a paper at a Fisheries Conference and in August he flew to Edinburgh en route to Mallorca where all his family gathered for a last holiday together. During this he deteriorated quite rapidly and unfortunately never managed to get back home to Vancouver. He died, aged 49, in Edinburgh on 11th September 2015. His passion, knowledge, ethics and creativity in fisheries research and sustainable management lives on in the countless projects he developed and the people he mentored during his 30 year career. Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to Miwako, Aila and Zanti as they help to continue the business he set up. His legacy will live on in Canadian waters. John McCubbing
Cliff Gorman (S 1957) (Died 8th December, 2015) Cliff Gorman’s long involvement with and love of rugby began at Daniel Stewart’s and lasted his lifetime. A 1st XV member in his final year at school he then joined the FPs where initially he played in the junior teams before gaining his opportunity in the 1st XV. For much of the 1960s he was a regular front row player either at prop or hooker in teams featuring internationalists Gregor Sharp and John Douglas and future internationalists Ian Forsyth and Sandy Hinshelwood. Freddie McLeod ,former teammate and ex SRU President, recalled “Cliff was a great character and useful front row forward, a real enthusiast. He also enjoyed the post match socialising and we spent many happy evenings in the old ‘puggy’ bar under the stand at Inverleith.” After leaving school Cliff first worked for the Leith Docks Commission as an administrator till 1975 when he was appointed Transport Officer with the Highlands and Islands Development Board and relocated to Inverness where he joined Highland rugby club. Then in 1978 he was appointed Development Officer with the Board based in Mull with responsibility not only for that island but also Tiree, Muck, Coll and the Ardnamurchan peninsula. There was no rugby club in Mull at the time but Cliff was instrumental in setting one up on the Isle of Mull that same year. He was the driving force behind it and during his time on the island was player/ coach, secretary and treasurer. He was also responsible for introducing the club to 7s and put in place the foundations that would lead the club to setting up its own 7s tournament, now referred to as ‘The World’s Most Sociable Sevens’. Since