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Wife pays tribute to former Highland businessman


By Louise Glen

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Tommy Knox who has passed away.
Tommy Knox who has passed away.

A WELL-KNOWN Highland character has died – while visiting his friends in a funeral parlour.

Former fruit and veg wholesaler Tommy Knox, who died suddenly aged 86, loved nothing more than to be out and about talking to people around the city.

One of his regular stops was to meet his mates at William T. Fraser and Sons funeral home in Inverness.

Mr Knox, who moved to Brora at the age of four, was a familiar face around the city where he had made his home for the last 12 years.

His wife of 36 years, Rona, said her husband liked nothing more than to be out and about in the city, and left his home early each morning to spend time with people “less fortunate”.

Mr Knox had a large family with 13 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Mrs Knox said: “Tommy was born in Fife and at the age of four came to Brora where he went to school and later helped his father TW Knox Wholesale Fruiterers. At the age of just 17 he did his first trip driving the lorry to Norfolk.

“When he was only 19, his father died and he took over the business, working hard and long hours and he successfully turned it into a big business. He went to Glasgow and Edinburgh fruit markets taking the fruit and veg north where it was distributed to local shops and hotels in Sutherland and Caithness.”

He also drove lorries carrying fish from Ullapool and his wagon took the Sunday papers from the train in Ardgay to Sutherland and Caithness.

At the age of 55, Mr Knox retired to Spain where he enjoyed the sunshine and Spanish way of life playing bowls and golf but 12 years ago returned to Heather Avenue in Inverness to be closer to family.

Mr Knox took up bowls in Fraser Park and was also an enthusiastic volunteer for Highland Hospice, the Wheelchair Ramblers and the Seagull Trust.

Mrs Knox said: “He enjoyed helping with the boat on the canal and meeting the many people who get trips on it and would have been delighted to hear that they had flown the flag at half mast in memory of him when he passed away.”

He also was a regular hospital visitor, taking time to see people from Brora who were at Raigmore hospital.

He was a vintage car and lorry enthusiast, owning a number of vehicles himself.

Mrs Knox said her husband liked nothing more than to be out and about on his electric bike with his yellow high-vis jacket.

She said: “Every morning he liked to go and meet up with any of the less fortunate friends he met on the benches in the centre of town. He loved to listen to all their stories.

She added: “When he became unfit through heart problems he bought an electric bike which helped him to maintain contacts and it was on his final cycle run on September 14 that he called in to visit his friend of many years, Bill Fraser at the funeral home, where he went on a regular basis for a coffee, that he sadly passed away.”

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