Dr Geoffrey Allan

Tuesday 14 August 2012

Chest consultant and stalwart of his local community;

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Allan Laing

Born: January 24, 1926; Died: July 14, 2012.

Dr Geoffrey Allan, who has died aged 86, was an eminent physician who, after retirement, devoted his time and talents to charity and to helping his local community.

As a doctor he specialised in chest disease, eventually becoming a leading consultant. He was part of the team which helped eradicate the scourge of tuberculosis in the west of Scotland.When his working life ended at the age of 65 he focused his attention on civic projects in his home town of Kirkintilloch, including the Park Centre and the Kirkintilloch Town Hall Preservation Trust. His efforts were recognised in 2010 when he was awarded the MBE for services to the community. It was entirely fitting that, just a few days before his death, he learned the campaign to save the town hall had been successful and that East Dunbartonshire Council had agreed to refurbish the derelict building eight years after its closure.Geoff Allan was born in Morley, near Leeds. His parents moved to Scotland when he was six months old and the youngster was brought up in Milton of Campsie. He attended the village's Craighead Primary School and moved to a junior secondary in Lennoxtown where he was Dux. He completed his schooling at Lenzie Academy, achieving the distinction, not only of the Dux prize once again but also being appointed head boy in his sixth year.He studied medicine at Glasgow University and, after graduating, carried out his national service with the Royal Army Medical Corps. He served in Malaya for two years during the Malayan Emergency, gaining experience in tropical diseases.When he was demobbed he returned home and went to work in general medicine at Glasgow's Royal Infirmary. He was later invited to specialise in chest diseases, in which capacity he worked at Ruchill and Stobhill Hospitals, Glasgow. Much later he was actively involved in the ultimately unsuccessful campaigns to save the two hospitals from closure.As a chest consultant Dr Allan was at the forefront of the battle to fight the TB epidemic of the 1950s and was justly proud of the success which he and his colleagues achieved.As a leading consultant too, he was a great mentor and teacher to scores of young doctors and students; always helpful and approachable.Dr Allan married his childhood sweetheart, Nessie, in September, 1949. They had two children, a son and a daughter.He had always been active in his local community – an elder of more than 50 years standing at St David's Memorial Park Church, Kirkintilloch, and a former captain of Kirkintilloch Golf Club – and, when he retired in 1991, he devoted more and more of his time to voluntary work in the area.In addition to his work with the Town Hall Preservation Trust, he was chairman and a founding director of the Kirkintilloch Park Centre, a highly successful community project which provides a range of services and advice to local people.Having gone through the grieving process himself after his wife's death in 2000, Dr Allan joined Cruse Bereavement Scotland as a volunteer counsellor in Strathkelvin.For all his charitable and community efforts he was honoured to receive his MBE from the Queen.Dr Allan, who died peacefully at home, is survived by his children, Philip and Elise, and three grandchildren, Maggie, Lillian and Ruby-Jane.

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Dr Geoffrey Allan

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