Alex Graham’s website

Councillor Jimmy MacDonald died on 30th January 2009 after a long illness at the age of 60.

A native Gaelic speaker from North Uist, Jimmy worked in the National Health Service for over 40 years beginning as a nursing auxiliary at Craig Dunain Hospital and retiring as a nurse manager in 2007.

He was elected to the former Highland Regional Council in 1986, and apart from an absence of four years served continuously as a councillor until his death. In 2007 he was elected as an Independent Councillor in the three-member Inverness West Ward.

He was vice-chairman of Social Work between 1990-94, chairman of Social Work from 1994 – 96, and then chairman of the Housing and Social Work Committee until 1999.

I was privileged to work work with Jimmy for 10 years from 1986 to 1996, when he was Highland Regional Council representative for Scorguie and Kinmylies, and I was Inveress District councillor for Kinmylies. Later on, we were both elected as members for Inverness West together with Pauline Munro from May 2007. As a ward team we worked extremely well together.

Jimmy was a popular and hard working councillor noted for his commitment to fair play and justice. He had wide knowledge of the issues, especially social work and health, and his humour and ability to lighten council debates was widely appreciated.

Jimmy was a caring councillor who worked hard for both the local area and the wider Highland community. He made a tremendous contribution to local government over more than 20 years, and will be greatly missed by many people in the ward and further afield.

Alex Graham
19 February 2009