Rugby player and club official
Born: 20 February, 1952;
Died: 11 August, 2017
GAVIN Calder, who has died aged 65, was a popular rugby player and official who represented, among others, Aberdeen University, Gordonians, the North and Midlands, and Scottish Universities, before making his mark at Inverleith, where he was a player, captain and official.
If there is such a thing as a “good” death, Gavin Calder had one, struck down at 65, by a fatal heart attack while doing something he loved, playing golf, on the Hirsel course at Coldstream.
But neither golf, nor cricket, which he also loved, was the sport with which he was most synonymous, that was rugby union. Scottish rugby is noted for the family connections with famous clubs – the Milne brothers at Heriot's, the Hastings and Kennedy connection at Watsonians, the Richardsons and Blairs at Edinburgh Academicals, the Beatties, Waddells and Simmers at Glasgow Academicals and so on.
At Stewart's Melville, the Calder clan, from Haddington, has been hugely influential. Fin and twin brother Jim were Scottish internationalists and British Lions, John won Scotland recognition, but it was big brother Gavin who was known as Mr Stew-Mel, for good reason.
His younger brothers might have the caps, but Gavin Calder was no mean player himself. He played alongside future Scotland legends Andy Irvine and David Leslie for the Scottish Schools XV, he represented Aberdeen University, Gordonians, the North and Midlands, Scottish Universities and Great Britain Students – which is a good rugby CV in anyone's language. But, it was at Inverleith, in his various guises, as player and captain, but more so as official, that he really made his presence felt.
It would be fair to say, he did every job at the club, but his latter posts as match-day announcer and writer of iconic match reports for the club website were the ones which cemented his legend. He will be a very hard act for the club to follow.
After university he entered the agriculture industry as a farm manager, which occasionally saw Gavin and Fin in hot argument over grain prices, with producer Gavin wanting the highest possible price, and grain buyer Fin the lowest.
However, at 50, Gavin Calder undertook a complete career change, into the finance industry, as he embarked on an enjoyable 15-year career as a wealth manager with Melville Independent.
He loved this role and was in the process of easing himself into retirement when he was so suddenly and cruelly taken.
Gavin Calder and Moira, who survives him, were happily married for over 40 years and they had four children: Robin, Laura, Cheryl and Gavin, who also survive him along with ten grand-children.
There will be a permanent memorial to this great club man, with the establishment of the Gavin Calder Memorial Trophy, which will be contested annually by Stewart's Melville FP and Edinburgh Academicals. How Gavin would have enjoyed reporting on that clash.
MATT VALLANCE
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