Obituary: Tributes paid to International Rescue Corps’ Grangemouth stalwart John Anderson
Family and friends were shocked and saddened by the news that former International Rescue Corps member John Anderson had died at the end of last month.
John’s wife Martha said he had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia.
“It made him prone to falls,” she added.
Sadly it was a fall in Forth Valley Royal Hospital which led to John suffering a head injury and bleed on the brain.
He died, with his family by his side, at the hospital on July 23.
Married 50 years, Martha and John got to celebrate their anniversary and his 76th shortly before his death.
They have two children, daughter Lee and son Kris, and three grandchildren.
Born in Bridge of Allan, John lived his entire life in Grangemouth, where he worked as a technician, contracted to the BP and Ineos for 20 years.
Martha said: “He did a bit of everything – he also worked with the police in vehicle recovery. He was never unemployed and if he was it was probably only for a couple of weeks.”
It was John’s renowned mechanical and technical skill which made him an invaluable member of the International Rescue Corps (IRC).
Formed in 1981 in the aftermath of the 1980 Irpinia earthquake, IRC became operational in 1985 and since then has undertaken missions in the UK and around the world, working alongside other agencies both nationally and internationally at the devastating aftermath of earthquakes, hurricanes and subsequent floods, mudslides.
This century the IRC has helped people in the aftermath of the 2003 Bam earthquake the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and the 2009 Sumatra earthquakes. Back on home soil the team has offered assistance following the 2004 Stockline Plastics factory explosion and during the 2009 Cumbria and southwest Scotland floods.
IRC volunteer Rab Barrie worked alongside John when he joined the IRC in the late 1980s.
"Back in the early days we were all friends and it was through word of mouth that we got to hear about IRC and how a friend of a friend would like to help. John was mechanical and did vehicle recovery and I’m a mechanic to trade.
"We got trained up and away we went around the UK and around the world – Japan, India, Pakistan – wherever people needed us and we could help.”
As well as his work with IRC, John also helped the UN with their efforts to distribute water to people in Liberia.
"John was the kind of person who would call a spade a spade,” said Rab. “He told you if something wasn’t right. He was well respected in the team – you should see the number of people, including some from down south, who will be coming to his funeral.”
Rab tells a story that shows John’s caring side, his willingness to help those who need it, and his technical abilities to think quickly and fix what needed fixing.
"We were in India I think,” he said. “And this wee boy came to John with a shattered prosthetic leg. It was his mother’s and it had been damaged in the earthquake. John sat down with the boy and he fixed that leg for him.”
John’s funeral takes place at 12.15pm on Tuesday, August 19 at Falkirk Crematorium.