A Bainsford man who played a key role in the building of one of the country’s biggest newspaper publishing groups has died.
Hugh Graham joined The Falkirk Herald straight from school and would eventually become a senior executive with its parent company, Johnston Press.
He was actively involved in the acquisition process that the firm embarked upon in the 1970s and 1980s that saw Johnston expand from a local family owned firm into a public limited company that published newspapers the length and breadth of the United Kingdom.
Born in 1929, Hugh was the second son of John and Margaret Graham.
He was a regular worshipper at Grahamston Parish Church, where he met his wife, Elizabeth. The couple were married in 1955.
He managed newspapers in Kirkintilloch, Oban and Ardrossan before joining the head office of what was 
then F. Johnston & Co in 1980.
It was a time of growth for the company. Johnston had taken control of the Derbyshire-based publisher Wilfred Edmonds in 1978 as it sought to create a presence south of the border.
Hugh and his family moved to Chesterfield in 1984 and it was from there that he helped Johnston establish itself in the region.
The Grahams quickly settled in their new hometown and became active members of Rosehill United Reformed Church.
Hugh retired in 1990, and was a well-known member of the Chesterfield Rotary and Probus clubs.
He was also an enthu-siastic amateur operatic tenor.
He died last month and is survived by his wife Elizabeth, sons Hugh and David and two grandchildren.
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