Scotsman Obituaries: Tommy McMichael, businessman and table tennis player
Tommy McMichael, sportsman and businessman. Born: 14 August 1935 in Edinburgh. Died: 21 July 2026 in Edinburgh, aged 90
Tommy McMichael was a talented all round sportsman and particularly successful table tennis player who represented Scotland several times in World Championships throughout the 1950’s and ‘60’s as well as being a multiple Scottish champion.
A naturally gifted ball player, his sporting repertoire included playing football, golf and tennis at a high level. Outwith the sports arena he had an impressive business career as Chief Scientific Executive with international food business, Rank Hovis McDougall, which involved extensive world travel. If Tommy was an international class sportsman and high achiever in business, he was world class as a gentleman –“one of life’s true gentlemen”- per his funeral eulogy and also as a family man.
Thomas Fair McMichael was born to parents Kenneth and Marjory, the middle child of three with David and Marjory. Father Kenneth worked in several jobs including as a publican and security guard while the family lived mostly in Barony Street, at the east side of the New Town. Tommy enjoyed a happy childhood none the worse for an early escapade of attempting to climb Edinburgh Castle rock and rescue by the Fire Brigade drawing a line under a budding climbing career. At Broughton High School he did well academically and at sport before going to Heriot Watt College where he obtained a degree in Applied Chemistry, later becoming a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chemistry.
At the same time he pursued his sporting interests, playing football with well known East of Scotland League side Civil Service Strollers before signing for top Junior team Bonnyrigg Rose. In summer he played tennis and with partner Christine Craigen won the Evening Dispatch mixed doubles trophy while also fitting in golf as he reduced his handicap to single figures, having begun playing over the Braids with his father.
His biggest commitment was to table tennis, which he played in the Boys’ Brigade before joining leading Edinburgh club Gambit, where his considerable potential came under the watchful eyes of Bob Heyman and world-class player Helen Elliot. The club was an offshoot of Stockbridge Chess Club, as its name suggests.
Tommy was playing League table tennis by the age of 15 in a highly competitive environment and very popular sport. The Edinburgh and District League then comprised seven divisions with about eighty teams participating, many of them works teams. He reached five Scottish Junior Championship finals before finally breaking his duck with a well deserved win before graduating to the seniors.
According to the Edinburgh Evening ‘Pink’ News, “1956 was perhaps the turning point in his singles career,” winning the Edinburgh Confined Championship before claiming the Scottish Confined title in Glasgow in December, his first senior singles title. An international debut followed for Scotland against Ireland in Dunoon before an emphatic win at the Murrayfield Open championship not only clinched his place in the Scotland team for the forthcoming World Championships in Stockholm in March 1957 but earned him the honour of leading the team out at the tournament. The team also comprised Bert Kerr and Ian Barclay whom he had defeated in the Murrayfield Open as well as Helen Elliot and Helen Houliston. All five were members of Gambit, an exceptional accolade for the club.
Tommy played in another three World Championships, in Ljubljanain 1965, Stockholm again in ’67 and Munich in ’69 while collecting another Scottish singles title and seven Scottish doubles titles, five with Tom Gilmour and two with Bert Kerr. He also represented Gambit in several Scottish Team Cup wins and Scotland in the Quadrangular Tournament against other Home Nations including the inaugural one in Belfast in 1960 billed as “The greatest gathering of British table tennis ever seen in Ireland.” In addition to playing he also took part in various national coaching initiatives promoting the sport.
After graduating Tommy first worked for the National Coal Board before joining Cerebos Salt and then Rank Hovis McDougall. Through mutual friends he met Christine Rogers from Edinburgh and they started going out together. When she was working in Paris as a governess Tommy proposed to her on a visit there and the couple married in Dalry Church on 4th October 1961. They enjoyed a happy marriage of nearly 65 years during which they had daughters Karen and Pauline.
In 1969 following his promotion the family moved south to live in High Wycombe as Tommy began travelling regularly on business for periods to South East Asia and Pacific regions, particularly Singapore, China, Malaysia and Australia. Initially he played table tennis at county level representing Buckinghamshire before playing more tennis and golf leading to winning his local tennis club championship at Rye, and golfing to a good standard at Beaconsfield.
In 1995 he took early retirement and returned to Edinburgh where he golfed regularly at the Royal Burgess and at one point won the Dunbar Seniors’ Open. Other interests included supporting Hearts and undertaking voluntary work. In England he coached table tennis to patients at Stoke Mandeville hospital and once back here did so with inmates at Saughton prison. As a volunteer with British Executives Overseas he imparted his business experience and knowledge on trips to countries such as St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Jordan.
Tommy doted on his family especially grandsons Oliver and Charlie and was at the centre of many activities whether family holidays here and abroad or annual trips to Wimbledon.
An extremely kind, thoughtful and congenial individual whose good sense of humour enlivened many social occasions, he is survived by his wife, children and grandchildren.
Obituaries
If you would like to submit an obituary (800-1000 words preferred, with non-copyright image), contact [email protected]