ANGUS GRAIN trader, Raymond Dyce, has died at the age of 49 following a lengthy illness.

Raymond joined Allied Grain, then a relatively young company, in 1987, and forged a career trading grain and selling fertiliser and seeds to his growing band of farming customers. In 2005, he stayed with the company after it merged with Banks Cargill to become Frontier Agriculture.

Mr Dyce grew up with his parents Jimmy and Evelyn and brother Norman at Nether Turin, near Forfar, and he educated at Pitkennedy Primary and Forfar Academy. Just before his 16th birthday and at the first opportunity, he left school to start farm work with David Young at Nethermuir, Rescobie.

As a member of Forfar and District Young Farmers Club, he took part in many of the activities, including speech making and stock judging. A highlight of his youth was a working holiday in Australia with his lifelong friend and near neighbour Gordon Beattie.

In Mr Dyce's case the young farmers club was to perform its age-old role as a marriage broker and in 1991 he married fellow club member, Susan Robertson. The couple set up home in Kirriemuir, where they were to bring up their children Ewan and Claire.

Raymond had a passion for football, firstly as an amateur player at junior level and then as a substitute keeper for Kirrie Thistle. This was to lead to an involvement in every aspect of the club, including spells as groundsman, club secretary, vice president and president – and a famously opinionated spectator.

As well as being a son, brother, husband, father, uncle and cousin, Raymond was a friend to so many people and will be greatly missed.