Dunblane stalwart Bill Kelso, who managed the town’s sorting office for a time, has died aged 85.
Born and raised in the Castlehill area of Dumbarton, Bill was the only son of Alexander and Rachael Kelso or Oswald.
He left school at 15 and became a junior stockman on a dairy farm near Renton,
He joined the Royal Navy as a submariner in 1953. After basic and trade training he passed out as an able seaman.
He met Elizabeth (Bett) Milne at a dance in Callander two years later.
After serving at Faslane his first overseas posting was to Valletta, Malta,where he and Bett were married on August 3, 1957.
The first of their four children was born while stationed in Malta.
The young family then returned to the UK. Their family grew to include a daughter in 1960.
Another overseas posting took them to Sydney, Australia. Another daughter arrived in early 1963.
They all returned to the UK in mid-1964. A third daughter was born in late 1965.
Bill left the navy in 1967 and the family set up home in Dunblane shortly afterwards.
Bill was able to turn his hand to many occupations until he joined the General Post Office as a postman in 1978, eventually becoming postal manager at the Dunblane Sorting Office.
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He joined Bridge of Allan and Dunblane Rotary Club.
Both Bill and Bett worked tirelessly raising monies for the CHAS charity as well as the many local charities supported by the local Rotarians.
He would organise guest speakers, many from the world TV or sport, to address the group.
Bill was on duty at the Sorting Office on the fateful day of the Dunblane tragedy and for the next six weeks the thousands of cards, letters and cuddly teddies, inundated Dunblane Sorting Office.
He quickly set up dedicated teams of local people and postal workers to assist with the mammoth task of sorting the incoming mail.
Bill’s health deteriorated and he had to take early retirement from the Post Office in 2002.
This gave him more time to look after his garden and brighten up the complex with floral displays
He still attended many Rotary meeting until 2015. On his retiral from the Rotary club he was presented with the president’s certificate for outstanding service.
Bill and Bett received a card from the Queen when they celebrated their 60th anniversary.
Bett died in April 2021.
Bill was admitted to Forth Valley Royal Hospital on June 17. He died peacefully with his family by his bedside. He is survived by his sister, son and daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
