Michael O’ Donnell – 4th January 1920 – 24th April 2017
Michael O’Donnell died on Monday 24th April aged 97
Michael was born in Edinburgh in 1920. He moved to Berwick on Tweed when he was 14.
Michael started to work with Lipton’s in Berwick in 1934 when he left school.
He moved to their Dunbar store in 1939 aged nineteen.
Almost at once he was called up to serve in the Second World War.
He served with the Royal Armoured Corps and was transferred to the Middle East GHQ in Cairo and was then posted to the new British military Administration, which was formed to govern the lands in North Africa which had been captured by the allies from the Italians. His posting was to Eritrea as revenue and state lands warrant officer.
On leaving the army in 1946 Michael returned to Dunbar and resumed his career with Lipton’s, managing their Dunbar branch until his retirement in1982.
Michael was awarded the Community Council Award in 2010 for service to the Dunbar Community for 60 years, during which period he was involved at various times with many local organisations and causes.
He was an elder of Dunbar Parish Church and chaired the management committee of the Church of Scotland eventide home [St Andrew’s home].
He was a long-standing member and past president of Dunbar Rotary Club and was awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship for special service to Rotary. He was one of a group of Rotarians who founded Dunbar Probus Club in 1974. He was a past president and current secretary and treasurer of the club.
He was formerly a group scout leader and district commissioner. He was, for a time, secretary of the Dunbar Trades Association. He was treasurer of the Dunbar Day Centre management committee until 2010. He was formerly secretary and manager of Winterfield Golf and Sports Club.
He helped to promote various other projects.
Michael said in 2010: “I will never tire of the work I do. I will keep going as long as they need me.”
He was meticulous in his determination to maintain a full programme for the Probus Club and was actively involved until the week of his death.
Stephen Bunyan