Born: 16 January, 1936, in Edinburgh.
Died: 12 June, 2009, in Kinnesswood, Kinross, aged 73IAN Archibald Campbell Whyte, BL, SSC, was a well known and respected lawyer as partner and, eventually, senior partner of Marshall, H
enderson and Whyte, SSC of Edinburgh and Bonnyrigg. He was highly regarded for his sound advice, integrity, judgment and caring nature. On retiring in 1992, he gave valuable time and knowledge to the Edinburgh Citizens' Advice Bureau.
He was educated at The Edinburgh Academy, where he had been Dux of the preparatory school and had been awarded the Latin and Greek prizes every year in the upper school. But his last term was dramatically changed by the sudden death of his father and Ian started his law apprenticeship in his late father's office, going to Edinburgh University in the autumn for his law degree.
He was a great collector of items that reflected his many interests and hobbies. These ranged from golf magazines dating from the 1940s, cricket magazines, all 146 Wisden Cricketers' Almanacs, adding to his father's collection, Edinburgh Academy Chronicles and the Academical magazines and golf score cards, whether he had played the course or not. All were neatly and methodically filed, as were his diaries, which he had meticulously written up every second day for some 64 years, and his golf diaries, in which were entered every score, round, opponent and occasion. He was that kind of organised person.
By far the most important collection was that of friends drawn from his many varied interests: the law, politics, (he had been a member of Newington Young Unionists and later would join West Edinburgh Unionists as a member and eventually served as chairman) and his many sporting interests. He attended every Scotland rugby international except one from 1946 to 2008, and the test matches every summer, having been to every test match ground in England. There were some who thought that the service he conducted and the sermon he preached in Warrender Park Church as member of the Youth Fellowship gave a strong indication of the talents of his great grandfather, who had been the Church of Scotland minister of Daviot Church, south of Inverness. Others thought that his interest in cricket would lead to a career in sports journalism, specialising in cricket commentaries, for he was exceedingly knowledgeable.
He inherited his love for cricket from his father and played as a junior member of Carlton Cricket Club, where he proved to be an excellent batsman and close fielder. His talent was not really rewarded at school, playing regularly for the second XI and only rarely for the first team. He inherited his love and ability for golf from his mother, who, before her marriage, had been the lady champion of Craigmillar Park Golf Club. Ian joined there, playing for some three years in the junior team, in the Scottish Boys Championship at North Berwick when school holidays allowed, and in the Edinburgh boys' championship over the Braid Hills each year.
As a senior member of Craigmillar, he won the men's championship before leaving to join Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society. Using his mother's putter and his silky smooth putting stroke, Ian got down to a handicap of one, playing in the British Amateur at St Andrews in 1957 and every year for the Academicals in the Halford Hewitt at Deal and the Dispatch Trophy over the Braid Hills. His lowest score (starting at the tenth hole) at Boat of Garten was a 59, but the highlight of his golf was perhaps not on the course, but his well researched book, A Century of Edinburgh Academical Golf, published in December 2000.
In 1964, he married Marlene at Birnie Kirk near Elgin and they joined St Ninian's Church, where he gave much valuable time and expertise serving as clerk to the deacons' court for some 35 years, emulating in length of service his father, who had been session clerk of Warrender Park Church.
After their sons, Campbell and Alan, left home, Ian and Marlene moved to Kinnesswood, conveniently situated between the homes of their sons and St Andrews, where Ian was a member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club. They continued to be involved in the charity Tenovus and enjoyed holidays abroad as well as the test matches, about which, as a founder member of the Cricket Society of Scotland, Ian was so enthusiastic.
Life was like his golf, straight and true. His faith was personal and strong. Always positive, he never gave up, thus in his last illness, he played the captain's innings, he left the world when he was ready to declare his innings closed.
He was grateful for his friends and they all appreciated his modest, unassuming friendship. He was someone to whom anyone could turn for advice, support, humour and friendship. His wife, his sons and their families and all his friends are the richer for having known Ian.
