Yesterday, on St David’s Day, an obituary to Sian’s father featured in The Perthshire Courier:
David Williams, a proud Welshman and GP who made Perth his adopted home, has died at the age of 89.
He moved to the city in the early 1960s with wife Eileen, also a doctor. They had both previously had a spell working at Bridge of Earn Hospital.
Over the years, he worked in a practice that had premises in Atholl Crescent, Rose Terrace and, latterly, in the new surgery in Caledonian Road. When he began, the senior partner was Robert Ritchie, who had been provost of Perth.
Despite developing viral encephalitis in 1972, which restricted his movement, David continued working until 1989 when he retired aged 55.
In later years, David and Eileen travelled the world, visiting places including Russia, Canada and Malaysia.
David was born in south Wales in October 1934 to David and Joyce Williams, and grew up with older siblings Joan, Peter, Dorothy and Keith, and a younger sister, Joy. David was the last surviving sibling. Some of his primary school years fell during the Second World War. At secondary school, he rose to become a prefect and captained the rugby team. He went to St Andrews University to study medicine and it was here he met his future wife, Perth-born Eileen Georgeson, who had been dux of Perth Academy. They married in 1963 in St Andrews before the young couple enjoyed their honeymoon in Malta.
Both David and Eileen qualified as doctors and he became a GP in Perth. They became parents with the birth of a baby boy in 1964, but sadly he only lived for a few hours. Daughter Sian was born in 1965 and their family was complete with the arrival of Gareth in 1968.
After David developed viral encephalitis, he attended hospital in Edinburgh for his rehabilitation but never let his disability define him. He lived with it for more than 50 years, and outlived many of the doctors who were caring for him when he was diagnosed. Despite having difficulties walking, David returned to work. Eileen took on his on-call duties, as well as working at Murray Royal Hospital, and he switched to an automatic rather than a manual car. In retirement, he became a St Johnstone season-ticket holder and a great supporter of Perth Theatre and Concert Hall.
Three years after retiring, the couple moved to Walnut Grove on the outskirts of the city, where they stayed until Eileen’s sudden death in 2021. David’s later years were spent in Strathtay House care home, where he continued to follow rugby and enjoy family visits. Daughter Sian said: “Throughout his life, my father remained a proud Welshman, although he happily adopted Scotland, too.”