The sudden passing of Alister Firth has sparked a flood of tributes to one of Ayrshire’s best known faces.
Renowned as the ‘gentleman photographer,’ Alister, 66, spent almost two decades filing images for the Ayrshire Post.
But his reach went far beyond the pages of the Ayrshire Post, as barely a day went by without some kind of event calling on his services.
From charities to councils, the Lancastrian’s services were called upon to capture the moment.
And his passing on Sunday night has led to an outpouring of grief from those whose lives were in some way touched by his work.
Ayr MSP, Siobhian Brown, described Alister as her “kind friend.”
She said: “I am devastated and shocked to learn of Al’s sudden passing. My deepest condolences to May and his family.
“Taken far too soon and he will be deeply missed by many. Rest in peace my kind friend. The world has lost a good soul.”
And The Robert Burns Birthplace Museum were among those to pay tribute, labelling Alister “an absolute gentleman who captured Ayrshire so beautifully.
“We always looked forward to him being at events and we shall miss his smile and generosity.
“He leaves a wonderfully legacy in his photography.”
Top Ayr lawyer, Peter Lockhart, said: “So sorry to hear this. He was a lovely man, a true gentleman who always got a smile out of those he photographed.”
Former MSP, Cathy Jamieson, hailed Alister “a true gentleman and always a pleasure to work with” while tributes also came from the likes of fellow former politicians, Jeane Freeman and Sandra Osborne.
But it was in charity where Alister left perhaps his biggest legacy, spending much of his spare time campaigning for children affected by cancer.
He initially led on the fight to save Prestwick’s Malcolm Sargent House, before morphing into a key figure at Whiteleys Retreat on the outskirts of Ayr.
Alongside the charity’s CEO, Maxine Allan, he became one of the key driving forces in helping to publicise and promote the great work being done.
Maxine said: “Alister and I shared so many adventures over the years.
“Our love of mountain climbing allowed us hours and hours to share our dreams, experiences, fears, hopes and wishes.
“He was a huge part of my family and my girls have lost a loved one.”
Typically modest, Alister was rarely one to go in front of the lens, instead capturing all the important moments from behind his trusty camera.
A former Ayr Hospital Radio DJ, he was a man determined to give as much of his spare time as he could to others.
Always game for a laugh, Alister took the bull by the horns when agreeing to pose as ‘Ali G’ Firth for the Post’s article on his DJ antics.
It was a moniker he loved and still talked about as recently as a few weeks ago.
Alister is survived by wife May, son Chris, daughter-in-law Alison, and granddaughter Charlotte.
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