WELL-KNOWN Perthshire farmer, William Young Smith has passed away, just a month short of his 80th birthday.

He was born on March 17, 1938, in Hallroom farmhouse, his father, William Lawrie Smith, ran outside and threw his hat in the air to celebrate the fact that he had a son.

He attended Guildtown Primary School and then onto Perth Academy, where he enjoyed playing rugby and cricket for the school. And, it was at the academy that he met Frances Dow, whom he would pursue with some difficulty as she was the senior sports champion for three consecutive years!

They were married in St Johns Kirk, Perth, in 1962, moving into their new home together at Craighall which lies just above Hallroom.

His family, the farm and his sporting interests were the main things in his life. Bill was a progressive farmer always looking to develop and grow his farming business, with a dairy being the main business at Hallroom.

And, from breeding Bluefaced Leicester sheep, to renting land within striking distance of Hallroom to graze cattle and grow potatoes, farming was his passion. He was also a great supporter of Young Farmers, becoming both chairman of both Perth YFC and later the East Area.

In 1979, he bought Knowehead Farm and the family moved into the farmhouse there.

On the sporting front he was a competitive cricketer and curler, as well as a keen golfer, captaining the successful Scone Palace Cricket team for many years, the highlight winning the Scottish Village Cricket Cup and a resulting trip to Durham.

Bill loved his curling and the highlights were manifold. He toured Canada in 1993 and won the Rotary World Championships; the RCCC rink championship with his curling hero, Bill Muirhead, and friends Lenny Dudman and Roy Sinclair. Playing in the Grand Match in 1979, was another highlight.

He was instrumental in keeping St Martins Curling Club going being secretary and then president of the club. In recognition, he was made an honorary member of the club.

He was also a longstanding member of Blairgowrie Golf Club and enjoyed many fine afternoons with his cronies.

Away from the farm he was also a director for 37 years and chairman for 15 years of the farming co-operative East of Scotland Farmers, and was a local councillor for the Dunsinane Ward, a director of Scottish Pride and a member of St John’s Rotary Club, in Perth.

Supported by Frances, Bill encouraged and supported all of his children and latterly grandchildren to take part in sport and other activities away from the farm. He was proud but also modest about their various successes on the cricket and hockey pitches along with the curling rink. He also enjoyed watching them all compete and travelled to both Canada and Switzerland to watch his boys curl.

Bill is survived by his wife Frances, his sister Helen, his children David, Peter, Gillian and Alison, and their respective partners, Barbara, Laura, Gavin and Barry.

David and Barbara’s boys, Kyle and Cammy, are keeping up the family sporting traditions, by representing Great Britain at the Winter Olympics in South Korea in the curling competition.