Retired Highland naval officer dies days after news of BEM
Retired naval officer Bob Coburn died just over a week after receiving news that he was to receive a BEM in the King's New Year Honours, it is understood.
He was a Scottish area vice chairman of the Royal Naval Association and a convenor of the Poppy Appeal.
The award has been dated November 27, 2023 – one day before he died. It is in recognition of his voluntary service to veterans and to the community in Inverness-shire.
Mr Coburn, of Beauly, was 77 years old when he died.
He was National Standard Bearer for the Royal Naval Association, latterly National Ceremonial Adviser.
He was beloved husband to June, most loving father to Carmina and Andrew, much-loved granddad to Lewis, Anna and Molly.
The honour was among more than 100 across Scotland including a King's Ambulance Service Medal for Alistair Macdonald of Inverness, an OBE for former Inverness Chamber of Commerce chief executive Stewart Nicol, an MBE for Highlander Nick Gardner (83), who bagged all 282 Munros in a record-breaking charity challenge, while an MBE for services to the Highland community goes to Fiona Morrison, of Beauly, who was a community fund manager for Scottish and Southern Electricity Renewables and an MBE for defence goes to bomb disposal diver Rory Cartwright-Taylor, who is in the Royal Navy.
