Tributes have been paid to a “remarkable” Erskine centenarian who died shortly after celebrating his 101st birthday.
Well known Erskine resident Sam Crooks, who was born on Christmas day in 1919 and served in the army for 6 years during World War II, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Saturday.
Sam had been living in Clayson House in Erskine before moving to Edinburgh with his son Alistair shortly after the covid outbreak last year.
He was one of Erskine’s most well-kent faces. As well as being a keen bowler, Sam was known for his love of music and dancing, and was a keen amateur musician, playing the organ and harmonica.
Paying tribute to his beloved dad, Alistair said: “He was a remarkable man. He had a fantastic sense of humour and would cheer people up wherever he went. We couldn’t go anywhere with him without being stopped by lots of people asking how he was doing.
“He was a joy to be around and never lost his keen wit – or that cheeky glint in his eye.”
Sam - who was born on Christmas Day - was the focus of some attention when he celebrated his 100th birthday in 2019, when the Cameronians held a special reception for him – that may not have happened had it not been for a chance encounter.
Sam’s granddaughter, Fiona Flanagan, had travelled to France with her father-in-law Peter for the dedication of a memorial to the liberation of the village of Clary during the First World War.
Peter’s uncle Peter O’Hare was killed during the liberation along with others of his Cameronians regiment.
When she returned and told Sam about the trip, he unexpectedly mentioned he served with the Cameronians during the war, something he’d never told the family before.
Sam’s family then discovered, thanks to historian Barrie Duncan, that their father and grandfather was among 200 members of the regiment who were transferred to the Royal Fusiliers in December 1943 as reinforcements for the Italian campaign.
Sam went on to serve during the Battle of Monte Cassino, one of the most pivotal battles in determining the outcome of the war. Only in his later years did Sam share some of his memories of this time.
Sam was born in Glasgow and after the war returned there, where he worked in the printing industry.
It was at a dance in the city that he would meet his first wife, Nancy Irwin, with whom he’d have three children, Margaret, Bob and Alistair.
Upon retiring in 1980, Sam and Nancy moved to Erskine and became active in the community until Nancy died 1995.
Sam remarried after meeting Mary Ross, with whom he lived in Erskine until she passed away in 2016.
A long-time member of the Church of Scotland and regular at Erskine Parish Church, Sam was also, for a long period, president of the Erskine Over 60s Club.
He is survived by his three children, five grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
