Real Lives: Family man had a taste for life's interesting tales

Bill Steele, storyteller, dentist, footballer and devoted family man has died aged 77.

Brought up in Fauldhouse, Bill Steele excelled academically in the classroom and on the sports field at Bathgate High School.

He went on to study dentistry at Edinburgh University and on qualifying joined the air force to do his National Service, serving as a dentist.

On June 11 1955 he married Catherine (Cath) Macleod in Edinburgh, where they had met as students. Shortly afterwards, Mr Steele was posted to Singapore and there his son Kenny was born in Changi Airbase. His daughter Mairi was born just after their return to Bathgate, where Mr Steele worked at the South Bridge Street practice for 35 years.

Son Kenny paid tribute and said his father was his best friend: "He was a character and well renowned for his ability to tell a story. It always mystified me as to where he got his material from."

One of the stories Mr Steele enjoyed telling was how one evening in the local pub a man asked him if he would look at his wobbly tooth. The off-duty dentist obliged, borrowed a hankie and in one deft movement yanked the tooth free. The fee for this swift operation was a beer.

Mr Steele was also a talented footballer, playing left wing for Edinburgh University and Dundee United. He also had a trial for Chelsea.

Kenny said his father even claimed to have "invented" the central midfielder general role during a junior match at Parkhead.

The angry family of the opposition right back who he kept skinning down the wing threatened physical damage if he continued. Mr Steele drifted into the centre of midfield for the rest of the game to avoid an after-game thumping.

Golf and fishing replaced football in later years and after one golf trip to Spain Mr Steele boasted his seventh hole in one to son Kenny's disbelief.

He said: "I didn't believe he had seven and told him that Seve Ballesteros had only recorded five, to (that] came the swift reply that he (dad] was more accurate with his iron play."

Mr Steele was also keen on horse racing and enjoyed visiting the racetracks of Scotland and northern England.

He also loved spending summer holidays in Lewis, using most of his time salmon and deep sea fishing.

He went on fishing trips to Orkney and the Western Isles with friends Mel Darling, Bob Logan, Geordie Johnston and John Macdonald. On retiring in 1984, Mr Steele and his wife Cath toured the world and visited Mairi and grandsons Ewan and Angus, who had emigrated to Australia.

At birthday parties with daughter-in-law Janet and grandchildren Fiona and Calum he would entertain them with hankerchief tricks, making mice and other animals.

After his wife's death, Mr Steele's health gradually declined.

He died peacefully at home on October 24.