IT is often said you measure the life of a man not by his possessions but by the respect and regard he is held in by family and by the persons he can number as friends.

Lochgelly’s Peter Macari (91) can count amongst his achievements his sound and happy marriage to his wife, Raffaella for all of 64 years, and his upbringing of three sons who all survive him....Peter, Albert and Hector.

Hard working, entreprenarial, humble, humerous, loyal, generous, caring, crabbit at times.... are all adjectives which fit neatly around the personality of the man, husband,.... and father who was Peter Macari.

Born on 23rd February 1923 and brought up by his parents Peter and Maria Guissepa Macari, in a room and kitchen at the rear of the shop at 65 Main Street, still in the family’s ownership today...this home, provided by his parents was the catalyst which gave birth to those qualities that endeared him to all his family and friends.

Lochgelly was renowned in the 20’s and 30’s not only for coal but for the thirst for knowledge and education. Peter almost always had books in the house and encouraged his children to read.

He strived to better himself, fired by the Lochgelly spirit and after holding down a night shift job in the pit for a good few years and hawking ice cream during the day, he finally managed to buy his own business at Lumphinnans Road.

He then spent the rest of his working life expanding his business and dabbling in this and that, with his goal to provide for his wife and family and retire with financial dignity. He achieved his goal.

Peter, of Moffat Crescent, was a socialist through and through....he was a life long member of the Labour Party and active in the Lochgelly branch and took tea with local MP, Gordon Brown, on several occasions.

He loved his wife Raffaela, who came over from Italy after World War Two, dearly....and from the time they first met he fussed over her till the end of his days.....he once quipped that you only knew what real love was after 50 years together. The couple celebrated their diamond wedding in 2010.

Peter went full-time in the shop after a spell at Glencraig Colliery and along with Rafaella became well known faces to the people of the town.

Peter and his ice cream wagon were welcomed by many generations of families in the town, Ballingry and Cowdenbeath, indeed, he once recalled that at its peak the business made 250 gallons of ice cream a week.

The cafe was the focus for courting couples in the Lochgelly area throughout the 1950s who enjoyed having their fish teas and ice cream as part of a night out.

However, one of his defining qualities was his ability to selflessly give help even where he was previously ignored or treated with contempt. Recalled his son Hector, “One example in 1956.....came when he sat his son Peter junior on the counter of his shop and pointed out a man who had been at school with him...they had played in the same football team....and had been on the same shift at the coal face for a time during his spell down the pit.

“Peter senior explained these facts to his son as the man walked past the shop and was seen to enter a small corner shop just up the road. The man emerged with bread and Capstan full strength. Young Peter asked why the man had went to the other shop...Dad simply said it was complicated “Then in December 1961, whilst our family was having Christmas dinner, the doorbell rang. We lived next door to the shop. Young Peter bounded to the door hoping that the visitor was our much beloved late Uncle Chris....with presents.....but it was the man Young Peter remembered with the bread and cigarettes. Dad was summoned to the door....the man came in...Dad went thru to the shop and came back with two large boxes of sweets, several bottles of pop and about 100 cigarettes...he handed these to the chap who thanked him and left.

“Mum then asked Dad what all that was about....Dad said that all the shops were shut, the chap had received unexpected visitors and found himself short. Mum protested but Dad waived away the protest saying… “Well it’s Christmas, Hen”....and he even trusted the chap to pay him the money later as there were no hole in the wall machines then!” Peter is survived by Raffaela, sons Peter, Albert and Hector, grandchildren and great-granchildren.

His funeral service took place on Wednesday at St Patrick’s Church in the town before he was buried at Lochgelly Cemetery .