Ian Devlin

Countless people will remember Ian for his appearances in Arran’s musical shows and his enthusiastic participation in choirs – and, beyond that, for his boundless enthusiasm and love of life. His death from cancer marks the passing of a brave, funny, creative and ethically committed man, one of a kind that is becoming more rare.

Ian was born in Aldershot, because his father was in the Army there, living with his wife in Married Quarters. In turn, Ian, too, joined the Army, becoming a medical assistant. However, he had always loved Scotland, and with his wife, Ruth, left Aldershot to settle in Govan, working as a psychiatric nurse. They came to Arran in 1990, when Ian took early retirement The island suited him perfectly, as he had always been keenly interested in music and theatrical activities. He had sung in the YCL (Young Communist League) choir as a youngster, and had been with Celtic Ballet for some while, so the musical productions and concerts were a natural home for him. He took part in countless performances with the Arran Music and Drama Club, and sang in various Arran choirs until he became ill. He was also intensely interested in engineering, and pioneered some interesting ideas on power generation.

Though firmly on the political Left, Ian had a robust respect for the teachings of Christ, and used to say the Sermon on the Mount ‘is all you need to know’. He was a man of profoundly ethical and humanitarian beliefs, tempered by a sense of humour that made him a delight to talk to. Deafness hampered him severely in later years, at a time before technology could provide a satisfactory answer to this problem, but his creative originality was always there. He could make an audience laugh, and he was never, ever, unkind about anyone. Summing up the happy years of her marriage, Ruth said simply, ‘He was my best friend.’ In a time when so many partnerships turn out to be transient or painful, that is surely a rare and beautiful tribute, and one that Ian himself would have appreciated.