Today, Wednesday 23rd February, I received a phone call from Marion McEwan, a friend of many year
s standing, informing me that her Dad had passed away peacefully at St. Margaret’s Hospice Clydebank.
John McEwan joined the Glasgow Fire Service and was for many years in charge of the workshops in the North West Fire Station and then at Cowcaddens when the GFS was absorbed into Strathclyde Fire Brigade. John was later based at Brigade Headquarters in Hamilton. He attained the rank of Station Officer and worked on many innovative projects including the famous Glasgow ‘Scooshers’, the multi purpose Hydraulic Platform Pumps and the Fireboat St.Mungo to name but a few.
John also attended the Cheapside Street Whisky Bond Fire on 28th March 1960, having initially seen the flames from his fire service fllat in Castlemilk and on contacting Area Control was informed of the events unfolding at Cheapside Street. For the next four days he and his team were involved in extricating the two turntable ladders that had been wrecked as a result of the explosion that caused the walls to collapse simultaneously in Cheapside Street and Warroch Street. He recalled that during this operation, he was only allowed home for meals and a change of clothing.
Growing up in the North West Fire Station John was someone who was always there, a face as familiar as one of my own family. When he moved from Castlemilk to a flat in the North West, his daughter Marion and I became friends which brought me closer to John. I even went out with Marion for a while (she later dumped me in favour of one my friends!!).
When John retired from Strathclyde Fire Brigade in 1983 he worked for the Greater Glasgow Health Board’s transport section and when retired on age he became involved in the voluntary sector working with the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.
John was always interested in my work with the preservation movement and would sometimes come along to our events with his wife Anne. I met up regularly with John and Anne (usually in Morrison’s cafe) and it was always a joy to be in their company. They were a foil for each other with Anne joking that she was still searching for John’s millions that he had kept hidden from her and John saying she had absolutely no chance of ever finding it! They always brought an air of happiness with them.
Both John and Anne became increasingly unwell with John being admitted to St Margarets Hospice. I last visited him on Sunday 13th February 2011 and it was obvious that he was very ill indeed. He did however manage a walk around the hospice (which he did on a daily basis), stopping only to introduce me to members of staff. It was with a heavy heart that I shook John’s hand and said my farewells for I knew that it would probably be our last meeting.
When Marion called to say that her Dad had passed away I must confess to shedding a few tears.
John McEwan was one of life’s thorough gentlemen. He was someone for whom I had the utmost respect and someone I was proud to have known and called my friend.
On behalf of myself and all the other members of the Scottish Fire Heritage Group, may I offer our sincere condolences to John’s wife Anne, his daughter Marion and sons Ian and Gordon, our thoughts are with them at this sad time.
Bob Wright.
Aye Ready – Aye Remembered – Never Forgotten
thanks to everybody that made Johns day so much more bearable for the members of the family. Rest assured that if there is a fire upstairs then John will be in the first attendant pump. What a fireman : What a man.
What a lovely article to read!!!!!!. He really was a true gentleman with a big heart and the very best Grandad anyone could wish to have xxxxx
Monday 28th February 2011.
John McEwan’s funeral took place today in brilliant sunshine at Craigton Crematorium. The number of people in attendance was indeed a measure of the man. I was deeply honoured to have been asked by John’s family to assist in carrying his coffin into the Crematorium, a final tribute to a friend of many years.
It was pleasing to see so many of John’s colleagues from the Glasgow Fire Service, Strathclyde Fire Brigade and Greater Glasgow Health Board at Craigton to pay their respects. An appliance from Govan Fire Station was also in attendance at the Crematorium, it’s crew smartly turned out to mark the passing of a retired fireman.
Bob Wright.
The Glasgow Fire Service was always known for the excellence of its technical equipment, this was due in no small measure to the work of the workshop team at the old North West Fire Station so ably led by John McEwan, an exemplar of all that was expected of a Glasgow Fireman, Sic transit Gloria Mundi.
Johnny McEwan was a perfect gentleman and great company although I have not seen him for many years I have fond memories of him when I was a young Sub Officer where we went along to Scottish dance nights with Arthur McKeown and Johnny Waterston. Donny Davidson