Tributes have poured in for a much-loved Dumbarton grandad who dedicated his life to supporting others and serving his community.
Tommy Crocket was a passionate community campaigner in Dumbarton, Renton and the Vale – helping run many organisations across the area over the years.
He passed away on Monday, April 18 at the age of 72 following an illness which his family say he battled with great courage and irrepressible humour.
Tommy, who lived in Wallace Street with devoted wife Elspeth, was an active member of the Lennox Heritage Society, Dumbarton Cine and Video Club and the Concord Community Cinema.
He spent much of his time documenting key events across the area through video and photography, from concerts and talks to the Skylark IX Recovery Project, parades and campaigns.
Leading heartfelt tributes this week, Elspeth told how the former school teacher dedicated his time to helping others.
She said: “Tommy was a socialist, always championing the underdog, the deprived, the exploited and anyone who was going through a bad time.
“Most of his teaching career was devoted to supporting troubled teenagers and children with learning difficulties.
“Tommy’s last job was running a unit which promoted the use of ICT for pupils with special needs who could not attend mainstream education.
“He will be greatly missed by all who knew him, not least his family and treasured grandchildren.”
Tommy was well known for being an enthusiastic supporter of Dumbarton Football Club, spending his Sundays editing films of the matches.
The club paid tribute to him this week, saying: “It is with very deep sadness that we have learned that Tommy Crocket, a Dumbarton fan for many years, has passed away.
“Tommy was an extremely keen supporter of his local club and could regularly be found in the stand on a matchday over the years.
“Dumbarton FC was one of many parts of the community which benefited from Tommy’s participation. Tommy will be very sadly missed, and the thoughts of all at Dumbarton FC are with his family and friends at this sad time.”
Thomas George Crocket was a proud Glaswegian who was born in the east end of the city and educated mainly in the south side.
He had a happy childhood with his parents Margaret and George and his younger brothers Alan and Richard.
After completing his secondary education at Shawlands Academy and Langside College, Tommy moved to the north of Ireland to complete his education at the University of Ulster in Coleraine where he studied English and history.
These were among the happiest and most formative years of his life.
Returning to Glasgow, Tommy became a teacher in a secondary school in Castlemilk where he met his wife Elspeth – a daughter of the Rock.
The couple moved to Dumbarton in 1982 with their baby daughter Jennifer.
Donald, their son, was born four years later.
From the start, Tommy, who was also proud grandfather to Smith, Ali and Murdo, became involved in the community, helping to run the Haldane Film Society, Renton Craigandro and Renton youth football teams and the Strathleven Artizans.
A creative man, Tommy at one time wrote an arts column for the Lennox Herald and in 1990 wrote and produced a play which was chosen by Glasgow’s social work department as their contribution to the city’s ‘City of Culture’ programme in 1990.
In ‘The Ghost of Benjy O’Neil’, the central character was played by a talented young student at drama college who has since had a spectacular career. His name was David Tennant.
Latterly, Tommy was heavily involved in the Dumbarton Cine and Video Club and the Concord Community Cinema.
Tommy was involved with friends in showing classic films, new releases, musicals and archival material in the ‘Wee Look Back’ programme at the Friday cinema club.
An active member of Lennox Heritage Society, outgoing chairman Jeremy Watson told how Tommy made an immediate positive impact with his broad knowledge of local and wider history.
He said: “It must have been well over a decade ago that Tommy and Elspeth first attended the local Lennox Heritage Society.
“It was at one of these early meetings that we had a quiz based on photographs of various historical buildings and other sites.
“He and Elspeth won hands down and proudly took home their prize of a tin of Heritage chocolate biscuits.
“It is photography that he excelled in and cherished,
with our society gaining the benefits of shared interests with another that he has very involved in.
“Not only did we benefit from the archival footage of early Dumbarton, but he was also key to the transition to full high quality digital hardware provision in the Concord Centre where our society meets, a situation that we continue to enjoy.
“He served on the committee for many years.
“Ill health may have persisted over the years, but he was very stoic.
“We will remember his voice coming from the rear of the dimmed hall shouting instructions to speakers about how to use the equipment or adding his knowledgeable contribution on various subjects.”
Tommy’s funeral takes place at 1.30pm on Thursday, May 5 at Cardross Crematorium.
