Obituary: Death of Falkirk table tennis coach Alex Dalrymple, aged 91

Although he enjoyed his own success in the sport in the 1950s, his greatest triumph was undoubtedly coaching his younger daughter Carole to her total domination in the women’s game throughout the 1980s.

From winning her first senior cap aged only 13, Carole then who went on to become a nine-time Scottish women’s champion – winning the title consecutively between 1980 and 1988.

Alex was born in Falkirk in 1931, the youngest of nine children. Aged 13 he began work in Cockburn’s foundry in Falkirk as an apprentice pattern maker.

He married Jemima Hoggan, better known as Mima, in 1957. The couple lived in Brightons with their two daughters, Lyn and Carole.

According to Lyn, her father saw the prospects in the foundries weren’t great and had the foresight to turn to a career in sales. She said: “Dad reluctantly retired at 60 as an accounts manager for Nabisco – he loved his job.”

She said it was while working in the foundry that her dad began playing table tennis and in 1959 was a member of the Allied team who won the league and cup double alongside colleagues David Cowie and Jim Watson. He continued to be a top Stirlingshire county player in the 1960s.

As his daughters grew up, he became more involved in coaching and started Falkirk Table Tennis club at Falkirk Drill Hall in the early 1970s. Together with dads Ken Waddell and Harry Crawford, Alex made up a unique trio whose children – Carole Dalrymple, Gordon Waddell, Martin and Stewart Crawford – would all go on to achieve international honours for Scotland.

But it wasn’t only at the club he started that he concentrated his efforts, Alex was also instrumental in running the Falkirk and District Junior league which was the starting point competitively for many top players

With others he was involved in the Stirling and Midland Counties production of what seemed like an assembly line of top juniors, who were consistently making their mark at international level over several years.

Alex was also awarded a Merit Award from Table Tennis Scotland in 2012 for his services to the sport which included many national coaching duties

Lyn added: “As well as all the table tennis playing and coaching over the years, he was a keen golfer at Glenbervie, played indoor as outdoor bowls, as well as being an avid bridge player. He was still playing competitive bridge until the week before his death. He also had a season ticket to watch Falkirk FC for as long as I can remember.”

Sadly Mima died last September 16 and after 68 years of marriage Alex was lost without her. Four months later, on January 16, he passed away at his home in New Carron.

He is survived by Lyn and his beloved grandchildren, Kris, Scott, Katelyn and James.

His funeral service takes place this Friday, February 3 in Falkirk Trinity Church at 11am, followed by a committal at Falkirk Crematorium at 12.15pm.