Obituary: W Gordon Davidson, businessman and sportsman Born: 20 April, 1935. Died 10 October, 2013, in Kilmacolm, aged 78 The death in October after a long illness of W Gordon Davidson brought to an end the life of a man who contributed so much to all the varied spheres of activity in which he participated. He was educated at Dardenne, Glasgow Academy for a short while, Drumtochty Castle and Sedbergh where his love of cricket was founded. He was rightly proud of his entries in Wisden in 1953 and 1954. On leaving school he did his National Service with the Seaforth Highlanders, ending by spending considerable time in Aden. On return he joined the Lloyds Broking firm of GJ Stewart & Co in Glasgow, soon to become Stewart Smith & Co. In 1972, three firms amalgamated to form Stewart Wrightson Ltd of which Gordon became managing director. In 1987 Willis Faber & Dumas merged with Stewart Wrightson, becoming the UK's largest broker and Gordon became managing director of the merged companies in Scotland. In 1990, Willis Wrightson merged with the US firm of Corroon and Black to become Willis Corroon, one of the top three brokers globally with 12,000 staff worldwide. Gordon was appointed chairman of the business in Scotland and remained so until retiring in 1995. He then became a non-executive director of the Scottish Friendly Society. Through all these mergers and acquisitions Gordon emerged successfully, largely due to his integrity and enthusiasm, his affection for and interest in clients, whom he loved to entertain and who in turn greatly admired him, his professional knowledge, his shrewd sense of judgment and, capping it all, his endearing personality. Sport had an enormous place in his activities. He had a fine record in boys golf, he played a useful game of rugby and was a good squash player. His major interests as he grew older though were skiing, golf and fishing. For many years, Gordon and Heather, his, wife skied widely together in Scotland, Austria, France and Switzerland. He developed a comprehensive knowledge of the European skiing scene. Gordon's dress for skiing was the same as it was for fishing and golf so he was readily recognisable. As to golf, he was a member of many clubs. Ranfurly Castle, where he was captain in 1974-5, Prestwick where he was captain in 1994 having previously been chairman, and the Royal & Ancient of St Andrews, where he became chairman of the membership committee. At other times he had been a member of the Royal County Down, Royal Troon, Shiskine and Machrihanish. He was also captain of the 32 Club in 1976. He had been a member of the Robert T Jones Memorial Trust in St Andrews for some years and had made an invaluable contribution to its work. Fishing took him to the Spey, the Dee, the Tweed, the Tay, the Awe and other rivers and, wherever he fished, the same enthusiasm and determination that he showed in business was manifest. Even in his later years, as his legs became unreliable for wading, he would still watch others and encourage his family members and friends to participate in his place. Gordon married Heather Muirhead in 1962. They had three children: Deborah; Iain; and Jamie. They have seven grandchildren. They were all joined by a packed congregation at St Machar's Ranfurly Church, Bridge of Weir, on 18 October, who all came to honour the memory of a man who stood so high in the affections of the very wide cross-section of people who had known him. The family requested that nothing coloured black should be worn. He was buried privately in the graveyard at Colintraive near the family cottage with its marvellous outlook over that part of Scotland that Gordon so dearly loved.