Former RAF serviceman and Burgess of Forres Colin Lipscomb has passed away
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A FORMER serviceman who devoted his life to helping the community during his retirement has passed away.
Father of two, Colin Lipscomb of Hilltop Road, Forbeshill, died of prostate cancer on Thursday, March 30 at the age of 82 having previously survived heart attacks and a bypass operation - his cancer was diagnosed in June 2021.
Colin, elder brother to Keith and the late Robin, was born on January 31, 1941, in Harrogate, Yorkshire to parents Faith and Royal Air Force retiree, Reginald Lipscomb. Colin joined the RAF as an engineer apprentice in 1957, later retiring at RAF Kinloss as a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer in 1982 after 25 years of service. His postings took him on overseas duty in El Adem, Libya and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. Colin’s UK-based tours also included RAF Marham where his daughter Vivienne was born in 1966 to his first wife Jeanne; and RAF Manston was where his son Ben was born in 1975, with his second wife, Patricia.
Vivienne went on to serve 36 years in the RAF too, and a number of men across the generations in the Lipscomb clan have served or are serving still.
Colin’s civilian employment included work in a local garage; driving removal lorries; a warehouse role for an oil rig construction yard; and electronics engineering jobs with Airworks and BAC.
On his retirement from paid employment there were voluntary and benefactor roles in the community. These included being a member of Forres Community Council (including as secretary); managing the Forres Group Action Hub/community resource centre/i-hub; and working at Jaycees Computer Centre with fellow RAF retiree, Bob Hellyer, where he put his great knowledge of computers and electronics to use.
Colin was an honorary Paul Harris Fellow in Forres Rotary Club. He personally helped fund causes including: Uganda Aid Person to Person building and equipment projects over many years and sponsorship of the education of a little girl called Danellah; Friends of Luchenza Action Group in Southern Malawi; Friends of Blairs Loch; Forres Community Clean Up; sponsorship of planting for Forres In Bloom (FIB); memorial benches in Grant Park; picnic benches for Hopeman; Burghead Tennis; Wave Radio; Lets Eat; Shelterbox; Moray Food Plus; and Forres Community Sports Hub.
Vivienne said: “Dad was much loved by family and many friends, especially in the Forres area. He was treated like family by the Hellyer clan - Bob was a long-standing dear friend until his death parted them in August 2022. Lisa and Nikki, Bob’s daughters, helped care for Dad in his final years as if he was their second father. There will be no funeral but a celebration of his life will be held in the near future.”
FIB secretary Sandra Maclennan also paid tribute to the champion of local causes.
She said: “We are very sad to hear that Colin has died. He was a most generous benefactor to many groups and will be greatly missed. One of his many gifts to FIB was a ride-on mower. The only stipulation was that it be called Colin. So when you see it in Grant Park, please remember a kind hearted and generous man who was passionate about Forres.”
Former Gazette editor Tanya McLaren will also miss the man whose company she enjoyed for decades.
She said: “Colin was a character I first met through the paper and community council. We had many robust conversations, often over his summarising of community council minutes which would have been 20 pages long if he’d put everything that was said by him and his old sparring partner and trouble making pal Bob Hellyer in them! If I had to pick music to fit his character it would be Monty Python’s ‘Always look on the bright side of life ‘ - he always had a joke and a cheeky smile. Colin served on the Nimrods. He was also a Burgess of Forres which gave him the right to drive his own sheep up the high street, which I’m sure he considered doing knowing him. He is likely up in heaven with Bob plotting a takeover!”
Moray MP Douglas Ross got to know Colin when he was a Moray Councillor.
He said: “I continued working with him on local issues when I became an MP and MSP. We had many interesting discussions about a variety of topics over the years. He held strong views and our paths would cross frequently. He will be sorely missed.”
