Obituary from TDGNHAS, Series III, Vol. LXXXI, p.128
When in 1970 DGNHAS found itself in need of a treasurer, the president, the late James Robertson, asked a recently retired friend with commercial and financial experience to take on the job. Thus, although not a member, Andrew Archibald became the Society’s treasurer and held that post until 1975. At the same time, he joined the Society and remained a keen member until his death, only a few weeks short of his 97th birthday, on 1st December 2006.
Andrew Archibald was born near East Kilbride on Christmas Day 1909. During the first World War the family moved to Glasgow and subsequently to Helensburgh and then Cove. On leaving school in1926 he was fortunate enough to find employment as an office boy at the headquarters of Scottish Oils and Shell Mex, a firm with which he stayed for the rest of his career, except for war service. During the pre-war period and also afterwards his main interests were music, the Church, the Scouts, travel and golf, among other activities playing the violin with the City of Glasgow Post Office Orchestra and visiting Germany for a Scout Jamboree. In the second World War he saw service in the Royal Artillery in North Africa, Syria, Palestine, Cyprus and Italy, and took the opportunity to visit the Holy Land, the Pyramids, the Valley of the Kings and Rome. After the war, he returned to the service of Shell Oil and in 1947 he was appointed area commercial representative at Castle Douglas, where he continued his interest in golf and travel. Here he also met his future wife Lexa, a sister at the cottage hospital, and they were married in 1955. Their first son, David, was born in 1956 and their second son, Brian, in 1958, and thereafter his main interest was in his family, although this included much travel while on holiday. Later he returned to golf and, on retiring, became a member of Dumfries Burns Club, the Probus Club and the Dumfries Music Society, as well as DGNHAS, which he served faithfully and competently.
Alex Anderson