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Death of Ex-Lord Cornet John Peacock
Modest John will be sorely missed
Lanark will sadly miss John Peacock who has died at the age of 85.
John was originally from Edinburgh and was the Dux of Corstorphine Primary School. He left school at the age of 14 to take up the position of a telegram boy. Thus began a successful career in the Post Office which saw John rising to the important rank of Post Master. On top of that he served his country in the Royal Scots and saw action in Palestine.
He came to Lanark in the early 1950s and met Doris Dunlop whom he married. He threw himself into the community and gave much of his time serving in local organisations, all of which gained dramatically from his hard work, attention to detail and an ability to balance the books!
He was always a quiet and modest man who never sought to be in the limelight. He preferred to lead in the background. His list of organisations sounds like the list of What's On in Lanark. John was a member of St John's male voice choir, the Panto Club, the Lanimer Committee, the Royal Arch, the Community Council as a founder member, and an avid supporter of football — his national team was Hearts in Edinburgh, and Lanark United was his local team. On Saturday a minute's silence was held in his honour at the match which Lanark won.
The Lanimer Committee saw him being involved with the Pipe Band Committee in the days when they organised a contest on Lanimer Saturday. He was part of the team which brought the World Pipe Band Contest to Lanark for two years. He had much to be proud of, but I think he probably considered being chosen as Lord Cornet in 1972 as a highlight in his life. John never tired of relating stories of horse riding with Glasgow Mounted Police. He took his duties as Standard Bearer seriously, not just in his year in office but for the rest of his life.
John was quiet and modest, but he had a huge circle of friends whom he kept up with regularly. He was also kind to strangers whom he always made to feel welcome. Laterly his Lanimer duties involved looking after guests, a job he was ideally suited for.
His sudden death has been a shock to us all, because despite his age, John never came over as old. He was always there, always involved, and this we will miss. Our thoughts are with Doris, Susan, Don and his five grandchildren. Lanark will miss him, but it will also be indebted for what he has left for us to carry on.
Leonard Gray
Lanark Gazette
Thursday 18th September 2008