We are sad to report that Tam Gilzean the legendary Edinburgh fundraiser for children’s hospital charities has died at the age of 99.
Tam was recently taken to Erskine House where he died yesterday. He had fallen from his mobility scooter while getting out and about to shake his tin. There were reports that while he was being cared for at the Royal Infirmary he would even go down to the entranceway and shake his tin there.
It was only in June this year that he received the MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
He was honoured with a sculpture of him with his hat and tartan trousers created by Mike Rutterford all part the recent Oor Wullie Bucket Trail.
His son Douglas told the BBC that his father lived his life for charity collecting and that his recent fall had left him bed bound. He said : “We are so immensely proud of him. He was an icon for his charity collecting and nobody in the family will be able to fill his shoes.”
That is certainly true. He was always a delight to meet whether on the High Street or outside Jenners on Princes Street.
He had many honours including the Edinburgh Medal.
The Lord Provost Frank Ross has just tweeted his tribute to Tam and said: “He really was an astounding veteran. Please wear your poppies with pride this week. Let’s do it for Tam.”
1/3 Tom was the star of the Royal Mile & Princes Street. Nothing would stop him going above & beyond to raise fantastic amounts of money for charity. Come rain or come shine, good health & bad, there Tom would be wearing his trademark tartan trousers, selflessly shaking his tin pic.twitter.com/QKG4EGpe0B
— LordProvostEdinburgh (@LordProvostEdin) November 5, 2019
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
