James Whiteford, who has died aged 76, played a prominent role in Scottish farming and curling circles. Born at Inchinnan in 1921, he was the youngest of a large farming family which moved to Wellsgreen at Windygates, Fife, in 1928.
Educated at Buckhaven High School, he followed his father into farming at Wellsgreen, concentrating mainly on his 70-strong dairy herd activities. Mr Whiteford was chairman of both the Central Fife young farmers club and the local branch of the National Farmers' Union, and was elected first chairman of the newly amalgamated Fife and Kinross area of the NFU. He was also president of the Fife Agricultural Society, served as a board member of the local co-operative Central Farmers at Methil, and was a Scottish agricultural arbiter before he retired.
Away from work Mr Whiteford enjoyed golf, tennis, and curling. He was president of Raith and Abbotshall curling club, and later became president of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club, touring with a Scottish team to Canada in 1975.
After moving to Kirkcaldy in 1976, he became an elder of Abbots-hall Parish Church, and remained one until his death. He recently celebrated his golden wedding anniversary. He is survived by his wife, Jessie, a son, a daughter, and five grandchildren.
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