A regional journalist penned a poignant acrostic tribute to a friend and colleague who died aged 60.

As previously reported by HTFP, The Courier’s obituary writer Chris Ferguson died last month following a major heart attack six weeks previously.

His journalistic swansong would be the notes for his own obituary, dictated from his hospital bed and subsequently published in the Dundee-based daily.

Now his friend and colleague on the DC Thomson title’s obituaries team Lindsay Bruce has penned her own tribute – with the first letter of each paragraph spelling out the message ‘Thank You For Everything Mister Ferg.’

Lindsay’s piece was published on the day of Chris’s funeral at which both she and Courier editor David Clegg spoke.

In it, she wrote that adjusting to life without Chris is still “unthinkable” for his friends from work.

“Years have come and gone, trends have changed, even a pandemic did its worst and one thing was certain, Chris Ferguson would be right there, next to the editor’s office in the Dundee newsroom getting the paper out no matter what,” wrote Lindsay.

“If there’s a Courier office without Chris, none of us are ready for it.

“In my mind, and as far as I can tell, there are three things inextricably linked with DC Thomson: The Thomson family, Oor Wullie and Chris Ferguson.

“Superlative skills and knowledge, an unending supply of afternoon storytime tales, and the utmost professionalism are attributes, we have sadly, probably, taken for granted.

“Emphasising how much he valued his job, but also the people around him day-to-day, Chris recently told me he had, for many years, taken time each morning to pray for all of his colleagues.

“Recently he also commented that he was grateful whenever anyone considered him a friend. For what it’s worth Chris, the honour was always all ours.”

The full tribute can be read here.