Plumbers' merchant; Born June 4, 1926; Died June 10, 2007. JOHN Iain Liston, who has died aged 81 after a long battle with progressive supranuclear palsy, was well-known in the west of Scotland building trade and for founding his own charitable trust.
After primary school in Pollokshields, Liston, who was always called Iain, went to the High School of Glasgow, of which he later became a generous supporter.
He enjoyed serving with the Royal Engineers in Kuala Lumpur and, on leaving the army, he joined Morrison's, the plumbers' merchants, and later John Richmond and Co, in which be became a director. He was also fellow of the Institute of Builders' Merchants.
He took early retirement in July 1986. By then he had moved to Gartocharn and had become treasurer of Kilmarnock Burns Club, a post he held for the next 10 years.
Being interested in the management of money, he set up the Gartocharn Investment Club in 1987, acting as chairman for several years. The club is worth in excess of £100,000.
In 1998 he set up his trust, the John Liston Scottish Charitable, which annually supports a wide variety of Scottish charities. After a year as programme organiser of the Probus Club of Strathendrick, Liston became chairman in 1991. For the next three years he was treasurer of the Scottish Council for National Parks.
In 1991, having been for some time a member of the Glasgow St John Association (as it was then), he was proud to be admitted to the Order of St John as a serving brother and was promoted to offices in 1995.
Liston had many interests, including walking, sailing, dancing and photography, but in particular he loved boats and cars. He was proud of his 1964 Daimler and, as well as being a life member of the Royal Scottish Automobile Club, he was also a member of the Scottish Western Thoroughbred Vehicle Club.
A quiet, unassuming person with a pawky sense of humour and a twinkle in his eye, Iain Liston endured his last illness without a word of complaint.
He is survived by his wife, Katherine.
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