DONALD FULLARTON Captain James Armour Brown, OBE, GCStJ, RD, BL; Born July 20, 1930; Died January 29, 2007. Captain James A Brown - or Jim as he was known to all - was a man of action, but always a gentle man.

A prominent Glasgow solicitor and leading member of a number of city and Scottish organisations, he died recently at Glasgow Royal Infirmary at the age of 76.

He had retired from professional life as senior partner of Glasgow solicitors Kerr, Barrie & Duncan in 1991, which enabled him to devote even more of his time to his family and his many interests, in particular the Order of St John, and several organisations connected with the Trades House of Glasgow.

Born in Rutherglen in 1930, he was educated at Rutherglen Academy and Glasgow University, where he graduated Bachelor of Law in 1950, with distinction in Scots Law and Conveyancing, and credit in jurisprudence. Distinction is a word which characterised his life and work.

While at university, he served a legal apprenticeship with Kerr, Barrie & Goss and then he took a one-year postgraduate course before his career was interrupted by the call to National Service in October 1951, which he had prepared for by joining the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve six months earlier.

After initial training he was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant in the RNVR Supply and Secretariat Branch, serving for a year on the staff of the Captain (D) Portsmouth in HMS Boxer at Portsmouth. For the rest of his two years he was assistant secretary to the commanding officer of the RN Air Station at Bramcote, Nuneaton.

After demobilisation he joined the Permanent RNVR, which became the Royal Naval Reserve five years later, in Clyde Division. For the next 19 years he served in various roles in the Division before being promoted to captain in 1972, when he was appointed a part-time member of the staff of the Admiral Commanding Reserves as Senior Reserve Supply Officer.

He was awarded the Reserve Decoration in 1966, was a Naval aide-de-camp to HM the Queen in 1975-76, and retired from the RNR in 1976. He also served three terms from 1961 as an aide-de-camp to the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Earl of Mansfield for two years and then HRH the Duke of Gloucester. From 1975-82 he was a member of the Church of Scotland Committee on Chaplains to HM Forces, serving as vice-convener for three years.

In civilian life he worked for a year from 1953 for Glasgow solicitors Wright, Johnstone & Mackenzie, before rejoining his original firm (later to become Kerr, Barrie & Duncan), as a qualified assistant. He was assumed a partner in 1957 and stayed there for the rest of his career, including two years as a consultant after his retirement. He was a Notary Public and a member of the Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow.

Jim became very involved in the Trades House as a member of the Incorporation of Bakers, of which he was clerk from 1964-89. He was also a longstanding member of the Master Court of the Society of Deacons and Free Preses of the City of Glasgow, of which he was deacon from 1978-80 and latterly an honorary director. He was always much in demand to give after-dinner speeches.

In the 2001 New Year's Honours, Jim was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his services to the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, of which the Queen is the sovereign head.

His connection with this order of chivalry, which is a medical and rescue charity, began in 1961, when he was invited to join the Glasgow committee which was about to be formed. He served continuously on that committee for over 40 years, and was its chairman from 1982-93. During his term in the chair, the buildings of the Langside residential home and the Thornhill residential and nursing home were acquired, extended, refurbished and equipped. In 1995 he was appointed the first honorary president of the Glasgow St John Association.

The Order in Scotland has its headquarters, the Chancery, close to the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, and Jim served there as a member of Priory Chapter from 1970 to 2004. Rather unusually, he was appointed to the senior post of Preceptor of Torphichen - a position normally reserved for someone retired from executive office - in 1984. Eight years later he was appointed Chancellor of the Priory of Scotland He retired from this appointment in 1998, and again served as Preceptor of Torphichen for a year. In 2000 he was promoted to be a Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order of St John, the highest grade of the Order.

Another interest was historical research, in particular the Royal Flying Corps and decorations and medals. He was the first honorary chairman of the Scottish branch of the Orders and Medals Research Society when it was formed in 1987, a post he held for four years.

In his final years, failing health limited his activities, but not his enthusiasm, and he made the journey from his Bothwell home to the city whenever possible to meet friends and attend events.

His other great hobby was music - he was an accomplished pianist.

The huge respect in which he was held was reflected in the large turnout to support his widow Lexie, son Douglas and other members of the family at the cremation and service of thanksgiving at Stonelaw Parish Church, Rutherglen, where he had served as Session Clerk for 17 years until 1981.

He is survived by his wife, son, daughter-in-law Susan, and grandchildren David and Emma.