A life well lived, and a community well served – there was no one quite like politician and faithful Helensburgh servant, Billy Petrie OBE, who has died at the age of 94.

Known simply as Mr Helensburgh, Mr Petrie enjoyed decades of public service, serving as a councillor and enjoying the unique distinction of being Provost in three different councils during his lengthy tenure.

For decades, Mr Petrie balanced public service on Dumbarton District Council, Strathclyde Regional Council and Argyll and Bute Council with his career as a postmaster, serving the community of Rhu – a role he only expected to be in for a few weeks when he first started.

He was working in his dad’s general store next door when the postmaster in Helensburgh asked him to help out by taking over the adjacent post office.

Speaking to the Advertiser in 2008, Mr Petrie recalled: “I went for some training and I thought I would be keeping it going for a fortnight or three weeks – but never thought it was going to be ‘short-term’ for 50 years.”

Mr Petrie embarked on a life in politics and balanced the role with life as a postmaster, going on to serve the community in Helensburgh and beyond with distinction.

In 2012, upon his retiral from public service, he was installed as a Freeman of Argyll and Bute in recognition of his service to the community, his work in promoting tourism in Scotland and his service to local government at a special investiture ceremony at Helensburgh’s Victoria Halls.

Influential townspeople, including his friends, fellow councillors, dignitaries and his proud family gathered at the ceremony as Billy Petrie OBE JP DL was invested as a Freeman of Argyll and Bute, one of only a few men to have received the honour.

At the time, Argyll and Bute Council leader Dick Walsh led tributes in a moving speech to mark the end of an era and told the audience: “He is the only person in Scotland to serve as provost of three different councils.

“This is a great testimony to his qualifications as a person and as someone who has made a great contribution to people’s lives throughout this area.

“For many years, Billy had the largest majority in the region in district elections. In one year in particular, he had the highest majority in Scotland.

“This demonstrates the popularity of Billy with local people who appreciate the hard work he puts in to serve his community.”

Reaction to news of his death was led this week by Argyll and Bute’s present-day Provost, another Helensburgh resident, Maurice Corry, who knew Mr Petrie for decades.

He said: “Billy Petrie was a true gentleman who touched the hearts of everyone he met.

“He was passionate about his local community, and had an amazing ability to bring people together, regardless of their political views.

“Billy fought very hard for what he believed in and his determination and resolve to get things done benefitted many, many people across Argyll and Bute and Dunbartonshire during his 45 years in local government.

“He was awarded the OBE and then appointed the first Freeman of Argyll and Bute and was Her Majesty’s Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Dunbartonshire.

“I consider it a great honour to have known Billy and my heartfelt prayers are with his family at this very sad time.”

Sally Loudon served as chief executive of Argyll and Bute Council while Mr Petrie was the area’s Provost, and is now in the same role at CoSLA, the umbrella body for Scotland’s councils.

She said: “Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute and Scottish local government have lost a true champion.

“Councillor Petrie was known as ‘Mr Helensburgh’ for good reason – it is because that is who he was.

“I was honoured to have had the opportunity to work with him for eight years and he was a wise head and great advisor during that time.

“He loved what he did, adored his beloved Helensburgh and was a staunch advocate for his constituents.

“He was a councillor who was well respected by the public, national and local politicians as well as council officers, but it was the respect of the public he was most pleased about because it was them that he cared the most about, alongside his beloved Jean and the family.”

Sally continued: “He was an absolute gentleman, always there to offer a kind word in the right place and at the right time.

“He could read a room and an audience and always had a funny story to make you laugh. He will be sorely missed.

“My thoughts go out to all he leaves behind.”

James Fraser, the chair of the Friends of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs conservation charity and chief executive of Steamship Sir Walter Scott Trust, served as chief executive of the Argyll, the Isles, Loch Lomond, Stirling and Trossachs Tourist Board at the time when Billy was the board’s chairman.

Mr Fraser told the Advertiser: “The death of Billy Petrie has come as a shock, having spoken to him not long ago when he was proudly telling me he sailed through extensive medical checks and was in A1 health for his age.

“That was despite mobility issues linked to spine damage after falling backwards off a stage in Oban many years ago, doing what he did best – giving a speech to a large, captivated audience, in his role as Provost, enthusiastically extolling the virtues of Argyll and Bute and, of course, his beloved Helensburgh and other loch-side communities.

“Billy wore numerous hats in public life over many years and he excelled in all his roles with public bodies and charities. He was a very popular and hard-working councillor and a first-class ambassador for the area.

"I was privileged to know him well through his close involvement with area tourist boards, the National Park, Friends of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs and the Steamship Sir Walter Scott Trust.

"Until his death he continued to be an honorary vice-president of the Friends and Chair of the Steamship Trust at Loch Katrine, where he took an active role in helping to secure the future of the historic Steamship Sir Walter Scott.”

James continued: “I have known Billy since the early 1980s when he served on the executive committee of the former Loch Lomond, Stirling and Trossachs Tourist Board.

"He subsequently went on to serve with distinction as the chairman of this Area Tourist Board and then the enlarged Argyll, the Isles, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs Tourist Board during my time as CEO of these bodies.

"In more recent times, I was privileged to work with him at the Sir Walter Scott Steamship Trust where he had a long association with Loch Katrine through his time as a Strathclyde Regional councillor and a West of Scotland Water Board member and latterly, the Trust.

"It was a great pleasure to work with him and he was a model chairman who always went the extra mile.

“He was a truly remarkable man and a real people person who would go out of his way to provide help and advice freely.

“During his time as a councillor and chair of various bodies, he would regularly drop into council offices, old folks’ homes, local hospitals, schools, tourist information centres and other venues to speak to staff and members of the public and make them feel important and show a genuine interest in them.

“Billy will be greatly missed, and my thoughts and condolences are with his family at this difficult time.”

Long-serving former councillor George Freeman, who knew Billy for decades and said: “Billy had been my local councillor prior to 1999 when the wards in Argyll and Bute changed and he was the one to encourage me to successfully stand for election at that time in the new Garelochhead and Cove Ward.

“I then worked alongside Billy as an Argyll and Bute councillor for a number of years.

“Billy was a real gentleman and always happy to provide sound advice even after he had retired from the council and will be sorely missed throughout our community.”

Helensburgh Central councillor Fiona Howard was elected in May 2022 but knew Billy for many years, not least because of her background as a reporter and editor on the Advertiser.

She said: “Billy Petrie was the original ‘universal soldier’. He fought for everyone.

“No matter who they were - if they needed his help, he was there.

“He was a gentle man and a gentleman, working tirelessly for his beloved family and for his constituents. Throughout his long life and (non)political career he reached across divides to bring countless projects to successful conclusions.

“He was inspirational and as a young journalist, I learned a lot from him about the value of integrity and the power of a kind gesture. I, and many thousands of others, owe him a lot.”

Fiona added: “When he was granted the Freedom of Argyll and Bute, the whole council gave him a standing ovation - and that, in a nutshell, sums up Billy Petrie and an extraordinary life.”

Another former Provost of Argyll and Bute, David Kinniburgh, commented: “Like everyone else, I was sorry to learn of the death of Billy Petrie. As provost and as a councillor, Billy served the communities he represented with dedication and distinction over many years, especially the Helensburgh and Lomond area.

“In my time as a councillor, Billy was always someone you could turn to for words of wisdom or advice and it was an immense privilege to work with him and eventually follow in his footsteps as provost of Argyll and Bute, albeit briefly.

“His passing is a great loss to the community he served so well and my thoughts and sympathies are with the Petrie family at this sad time.”

Kilcreggan-based journalist and lecturer Julian Calvert, formerly of the Advertiser, has his own fond memories of Mr Petrie. He recalled: “Billy was one of the first people I met when I moved here and he was unfailingly polite and helpful to everyone he encountered, while also managing to make his fight for the people he represented.

“At that time the Helensburgh area had just moved from a Dumbarton-based council to Argyll and Bute, where it’s fair to say some of the established councillors were rather wary of the newcomers; Billy’s courteous but determined diplomacy was key to the newly-structured council working effectively, and the extent to which that was appreciated was seen when he became only the second person to be given the freedom of Argyll and Bute.”

Julian added: “A ‘people person’ with a great knack for remembering names, he always made time to help new journalists on his patch, and despite being photographed hundreds of times, he always remained patient and considerate with photographers.”

Billy Petrie’s funeral is on Thursday, September 8 at 1pm at Helensburgh Parish Church.