Sunday 23 October 2016

My family closer to home - William Dobson

William Dobson was born in April 1944, only son of William Dobson senior and his wife Jean Lees, nee Dick. Sadly celebrating was put on hold as approximately 2 weeks later, Jeanie passed away, due to having TB, leaving William in the care of his father and grandparents.

He attended primary school at Auchinraith Primary, which was just along the road from where he stayed in the "Buggy Buildings" in Blantyre. Later on he attended Calder Street Secondary School where he was a promising young football player and joined a local football team, Victoria Amateurs. After leaving school he started work with a local steel works and enjoyed an active social life by going to the dancing and greyhound racing.

It was at the dancing in Glasgow that he met, who was to be his life partner, Jean Bayne and they were married in March 1965. Together they went on to have five children, bringing them all up in Blantyre until they began to get married themselves. After the marriage of their eldest child, Jean took ill with cancer, which she fought until she died in January 1991 aged 44. By this time, they had 3 grandchildren. Life went on for William and he returned to the workplace after Jeans death by getting a job working in the local car parks. William was there a number of years and home life spending as much time as he could with his grandchildren, which had been added to since his wifes passing. In 2007, William himself became ill with cancer, having been giving just 6 months to get things in order and spend time with his family. William passed away in March 2008 aged 63 and leaves a legacy of 12 grandchildren, some of whom still live in his home town of Blantyre. He is sadly missed