Sue McIntyre, MBE
The piping world suffered another loss with the death of Sue McIntyre, MBE, one of Scotland’s greatest teachers of the instrument, and the first full-time piping instructor employed to teach in the Scottish school system.
Named on the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List in 2001 to become a Member of the Order of the British Empire, McIntyre’s piping students numbered in the thousands. She taught in the Inverness area after a successful solo career.
Her piping flourished as a soldier in the Scots Guards and then was Pipe-Major with the Oman Scouts. After her term in the army, she moved to Skye where she was made the first full-time instructor of piping for the Scottish Education Board, followed by employment with the South Ayrshire school system.
She touched the lives of many pipers, including several players who have gone on to solo competition success, including Ross McCrindle.
She had been ill at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, and died on June 3rd. The funeral will be held at St. Michael’s Church, Abban Street, Inverness, on June 9th.
On behalf of the piping and drumming world, we extend our sympathies to Sue McIntyre’s family and many friends at this sad time.
i am saddened to hear of Sues passing last week, i was a pupil of Sues in the mid eighties, she was also a close family friend. i have many many great memories of sue…and her sense of humour and bottle” have always stayed with me. She was a great teacher and was one of lifes great characters. i joined the Scots Guards in 1989 and we lost touch..im delighted to say we spoke to great lenght many times again when i was later “reconstructing” my piping. My own
sad news..remember the piping society sue formed in ayrshire…got the chance to hear john d and murray henderson…happy days