MacArthur, Donald

July 15th, 2005 by JCB
Posted in Obituaries | No Comments »

Donald MacArthur

It is with a great deal of sadness that I write to inform that Donald MacArthur, after a very short illness, died on 22 March, 2005. Donald was born on the Isle of Skye in 1922 and first went to sea in 1939 serving on deck throughout the Second World War. He obtained his second mates certi.cate in 1945 and was in command by early 1952 – no mean feat even in those days and ready testimony to his abilities.

He joined the Falmouth pilotage service in 1954 transferring to Milford in 1962. The sixties was the period when the size of tankers increased dramatically and Donald was one of a few who ensured that Milford was, almost overnight, able to successfully cope with tankers of over 250,000dwt on drafts of up to 69 feet. During this time he served on many committees connected with the port and was one of the pilots’ representatives on the local Trinity House Sub-Commissioners. In 1980 when Milford “broke away” from Trinity House and established an independent pilotage authority Donald was its .rst chairman. During his time in Milford Donald became the secretary and ‘leading light’ of the local Caledonian Society which at the time was renowned for its successful social events. He was a keen member of the local golf club and in his early days at Milford participated in offshore yacht racing. He retired in 1988 and moved to Colwyn Bay in order to be nearer some of his family and became a highly respected member of the local church. Above all else Donald was essentially a family man and he leaves to mourn his wife, May, son Alaisdair, daughter Sheona and their families of whom he was very proud.

Donald was an admired and respected colleague, a social man with a finely tuned

sense of humour. He was a man of principle with, no matter what the circumstances, the courage to stand by them. He will be sorely missed by all who kept his company.

Ian Evans

Milford Haven, Retired