Well known town figure dies after stroke
A stalwart of the Lerwick business community and one of the best known faces in Shetland, Harry Jamieson, died in hospital in Aberdeen on Saturday after having suffered a stroke.
Mr Jamieson, 71, was proprietor of Harry’s Department store and was heavily involved with a variety of organisations such as Lerwick Port Authority, Living Lerwick and Lerwick Spurs FC.
He was chairman of the port authority which runs Lerwick harbour and until recently chairman of Living Lerwick, which promotes the town centre, and the coach of Lerwick Spurs.
Harry started off with his famous barber shop in 1962 and gradually extended the shop and built up the retail business, starting with toys before expanding into a wide range of household goods.
Mr Jamieson was also a keen supporter of Up Helly A’ and was Guizer Jarl in 1981.
He recently joined a consortium of businesspeople in the Energy Isles company which plans to build a windfarm in Yell and Unst.
He is survived by his wife Mary, son Stewart, daughter Caroline and their respective families.
An obituary for Mr Jamieson will follow in Friday’s newspaper.
Sarah Deeney
Harry was a former employer of mine, he was feisty, hard working and funny but more importantly he was a really good friend. He supported and helped me in my life decisions and I will never forget that. He was one of the hardest workers that I have ever seen and I have really fond memories of working along side him in the shop. There was always loads of banter around and I feel that it was a privilege to have known him. My thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time.
Love you guys
Sarah Deeney
Ian & Judith Deeney
We would like to offer our condolences and love to Mary and her family.
It was a privilege to know Harry, the Shetland community has lost a great friend and mentor. I am sure he will be greatly missed, but his legacy goes forward through his family, the business and the work that he did within the other organisations that he was so involved in.
Love to all of the family,
Ian and Judith Deeney
Steven Jarmson
It never normally bothers me too much when some one I’m not very close to dies, but with Harry I am actually quite sad.
Harry was always such a nice guy, from when I learned to walk, I’ve been wandering through his shop, looking at all the stuff I’d like buy.
When I was younger, I wanted a Scalextric racing car I didn’t quite have enough money for, it was a whopping £12, I only had £10.50 or so, it had taken me weeks to save for it and Harry had seen me coming in week in week out looking at the car, when I presented my miscounted money he looked and said I was a bit short, I said how much and he said about £1.50, I stood figuring out how many more weeks that would take me to save up and said to him could he keep the car for 2 more weeks so no one else could get it, he said to take it and come in with the money when I had it.
What a guy, no one else would have allowed that.
Harry Cairns
My memories of Harry go back to 1962/63 when i was a young RAF officer at Saxa Vord and courting Lesley Cheyney from the Grand Hotel. Because facilities at the camp were limited, I made it a point to have Harry cut my hair during my weekend trips to Lerwick. We always had a good blether. In more recent years, during our frequent visits to Lerwick, Harry always made a point of stopping for a chat, and sometimes giving Lesley a hug. He made us very welcome and it was sad to hear about his passing. We will miss seeing him on Daa Street and in the shop. Our sympathy goes out to his family
Ian R Selbie
it is very rare these days to find a man/ woman where no one has anything negative to say about them when they pass on. I have had the privilege of knowing two such men, the late Don Leslie and Harry, I would imagine they have plenty to talk about.