McARTHUR - Suddenly, at home, Avalon, Peninver, on June 19, 2007, Duncan Ralston McArthur, in his 65th year, dearly beloved husband of the late Evelyn, a much loved father of Diane, father-in-law of Morris, loving grandfather of Hannah and much loved son of Alexina and the late Dugald McArthur. The funeral service will take place in Kilkerran Cemetery, Campbeltown on Friday, June 22, 2007, at 2.00pm to which all friends are respectfully invited.
Duncan McArthur
Obituary by Nancie Smith
"Campbeltown Courier", page 4, Friday, July 20, 2007
The last eighteen months of Duncan McArthur's life were spent commemorating the life of his hero Reginald Aubrey Fessenden, 'the father of radio'.
Duncan's untimely death at the age of 64 has saddened his many friends, including those he made researching Fessenden both in this country and in Canada and the U.S.A..
Duncan McArthur was born and raised in Campbeltown and educated in Campbeltown Grammar School. From an early age Duncan showed an interest in radio and went off to college in Glasgow before joining the merchant navy as a ship's radio officer.
He served two years on various ships, including The Canadian Pacific Railway Company's "Empress of Britain", Duncan travelling all over The World.
Duncan's next career move was to Glasgow's Abbotsinch Airport and it was while working there that he met his wife, Evelyn.
Duncan and Evelyn moved back to Campbeltown so that he could take up a job at the nearby Rhu Staffnish radio station, their daughter Diane being born during this time.
Four years later the family moved to Wick, where Duncan became telecommunications manager at Wick Airport.
Their final move was in 1985 when Duncan was appointed manager, air-ground-air, working on telecommunications at The Scottish Air Traffic Control Centre in Prestwick, a post he held until retiring in 1999 and returning back to his beloved Kintyre, where he and Evelyn settled at Peninver.
Throughout his life, radio had remained an enduring interest and the Peninver house was soon sprouting with radio aerials, the spare room converted into a 'radio shack' and Duncan spending hours talking to people in many countries - He retained his skill in Morse Code and often used his Morse key to communicate with other 'radio hams'.
Duncan's other interest was aviation and he was an expert on the many plane crashes around The Mull of Kintyre and would spend hours following the trail of a crash and could identify a plane from a small piece of wreckage.
The Wellington, LB 137, which crashed at 'The Mull' in 1943, killing all six of its crew, will be commemorated by the R.A.F. thanks to Duncan's researches.
The Fessenden centenary year was exciting and exhausting for Duncan as he and a group of friends began to make plans to celebrate Reginald Fessenden's great achievement in transmitting the first speech broadcasts across The Atlantic.
Fessenden's work had always been over-shadowed by that of Marconi and Duncan and his friends were determined that Fessenden should have his proper place in history, a similar group at Brant Rock, Massachusetts, U.S.A., partnering the celebrations.
Duncan visited local schools speaking to the children about Fessenden's work and achievements and children visited the site of Fessenden's radio mast at Machrihanish where Duncan memorably played the part of Reginald Fessenden while the children asked him questions.
He was interviewed on radio and television in this country and in the United States, where a three-day celebration was held to commemorate 'the father of radio'.
Duncan, a family man, will be missed by his friends for his humour and wit and he is survived by his mother, his daughter Diane and her husband Morris and their 10-month old daughter Hannah.
