A LOCAL general practitioner who has made himself an indispensable part of the Arbroath community since arriving in the town over 30 years ago has retired.
Dr William Russell Smith, known to everyone as Rusty, of Nolt Loan Road, has left the Hill Place practice where he was senior partner to devote his time to golf, fishing, gardening and bowling.
A native of Dumbarton he attended Knoxland Primary Sc
hool and Dumbarton Academy where he was a prefect, deputy head boy and captain of the school first XI football team.
He was also captain of the Dumbartonshire West football team and later played for Drumchapel Amateurs. A strong all-round sportsman he was his school's intermediate sports champion and also gained his cricket colours.
One of his abiding memories was playing against Danny McGrain in a junior match against Queen's Park Vics.
He followed his father's lead into the Boys' Brigade, joining the 3rd Dumbarton Company. He gained a Queen's Badge with them and was an officer during his first year at university.
His academic background was every bit as strong as his sports attributes and he won a place to study medicine at Glasgow University on the basis of having gained seven Highers.
He graduated MBChB in July, 1973, after six years of study. During that time he gained certificates in clinical surgery, clinical medicine, clinical orthopaedics, biochemistry and paediatric surgery.
In 1973 he took up a pre-registration appointment in general surgery at Vale of Leven General Hospital, Alexandria, under Mr R.A. Jamieson, and the following year he moved to Stobhill General Hospital, Glasgow, where he studied geriatric medicine under Professor Sir W. Ferguson Anderson.
Dr. Graham Moffat (third from left) presents Dr Smith with one of his gifts to mark his retiral after 33 years with the Hill Place practice. Others seated are, from left - Doctors Stephen Meldrum, Doctor Colin Fraser, Mrs Liz Smith, Doctor Alex Du
Dr Smith commenced a three-year vocational training scheme for general practice as a senior house officer in paediatrics at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, later also studying obstetrics and gynaecology and dermatology, also at Raigmore.
In the autumn of 1975 he was a vocational trainee in general practice with Dr E.G. Buchanan at Fort Augustus and he gained his DObstRCOG in May, 1976.
During 1976 and '77 he studied rehabilitation medicine, ophthalmology, psychiatry and general medicine at Raigmore and Craig Dunains hospitals and became a Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners in 1977.
Dr Smith moved to Arbroath later that year when he joined Dr Grizel Warnock, Dr Ian Stewart and Dr Jim Ogilvie at the High Street Practice. The group moved to extensive, modern premises in Hill Place in 1993 and has since expanded considerably.
Dr Smith is a stalwart of Arbroath Rotary Club, of which he is a past president, although he also held other office. He is a former elder of Arbroath West Kirk and is now a member of St Andrew's Church.
He is chairman of the Angus Division of General Practice and is a member of the GP sub-committee of the Tayside Local Medical Committee. He was also a member of the old Angus Medical Committee.
For many years he has been a member of the Arbroath Guildry and he is a trustee of the Colville Trust.
On the sporting front he is a former member of Arbroath Golf Club and now plays as a member of the Edzell Club. He was club doctor for Arbroath FC from 1977 to 1996 and is an honorary vice-president of the club.
He was a member of the Arbroath Rotary Club bowling team which won the Scottish Rotary Championship in 2000 and for the last couple of years he has played for Dundee Rotary Club as a member of their fund-raising touring team. This year he has joined Lochlands Bowling Club.
Dr Smith met his wife, Elizabeth, while he was at Glasgow University and the couple were married in Greenbank Church, Clarkston, Glasgow, in the summer of 1974. They have four sons, Neil (31), who lives in London; Euan (28), who is in Edinburgh; and Craig (26) and Alan (24), who also live in London.
During a farewell dinner with his colleagues at Colliston Inn on Saturday, Dr Smith was presented with a bowls bag, bowling equipment and garden vouchers from the receptionists, and a fishing rod and equipment and travel vouchers from the partners.
He has also received numerous gifts from his patients., one of whom opened a bank account to collect subscriptions and a total of £1,500 was gifted. Dr Smith plans to buy a camera and a picture of Arbroath with the cash and thanked everyone for their generosity.
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