A POPULAR and well respected former teacher, Bill Livingstone, has died at the age of 83.

He was known as a talented all-round sportsman, a teacher who made a significant contribution to secondary education in Fife and a local historian who pioneered the promotion of ‘Old Dunfermline’ and 'Old Cowdenbeath'.

William Beveridge Livingstone was born in Cowdenbeath in 1936 and attended Beath High School where he was captain of the school football team.

He played for Fife Schools and was selected to represent Scotland, going on to win a then record six schoolboy caps, playing against such famous future stars as Johnny Haynes and Duncan Edwards.

Bill played for Hibernian and Raith Rovers, then did his National Service in the RAF, before playing more senior games with Watford and St Johnstone.

Embarking on a career in education, he went to Jordanhill College in Glasgow to train as a PE teacher.

He took a post at his old school, Beath, before going to work at Queen Anne High in Dunfermline where he met fellow teacher Jean, who became his wife.

He finished his career as assistant rector at Inverkeithing High School where he was affectionately known by pupils as ‘Uncle Bill’.

With assistance from the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust and colleague Bob Drummond, Bill collated archive photographs of Dunfermline and presented a series of films on the topic.

His collection was donated to all local primary and secondary schools, proving popular with scholars and historians and forming the beginning of the photographic archives in Dunfermline Library.

Bill also produced and narrated the DVD ‘Old Cowdenbeath’.

As well as promoting Dunfermline's heritage, he was a toastmaster and a much admired and accomplished performer of Robert Burns’ poetry.

Bill passed away peacefully at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy on August 8. He is survived by his wife Jean, children Laura and Iain – the Chief Constable of Police Scotland – and his sister Mary.

A devoted family man, he was a much loved grandad to Amy, Anna, Claire, Sylvie, Louisa and Hope and a doting great grandfather to Imogen, Elinor, Ottilie, Fraser, Alexa and Connor.

Bill's funeral service takes place tomorrow (Friday) at Dunfermline Crematorium at 11.30am. All relatives and friends are respectfully invited.