A PROMINENT minister sadly passed away at his Alva home this month at the age of 100.

The Rev Dr Ian Masson Fraser was a retired Church of Scotland minister, social activist, theologist and practical philosopher who made sure each of his days were filled with something of substance and significance.

His funeral will take place tomorrow, Friday, April 20, with a service in Alva Parish Church at 11.30am.

All are welcome at the service, family flowers only and those heading along are asked to wear colour. It will be to Gargunnock Cemetery thereafter and contributions to the Iona Community are welcome.

The centenarian, who as the Advertiser reported turned 100 in December, passed away suddenly on Monday, April 9, in his sheltered accommodation.

According to sister paper The Herald, on his desk were the latest of his writings while in his pocket was the magnifying glass he used to read books, pamphlets and scripture with every day.

Always a work in progress, he never stopped reading and writing, penning more than two dozen books throughout his life.

The Rev Dr Fraser was an instigator of the Iona Community on the island famed as a haven for pilgrims.

In his 100 years he visited almost 100 countries – some under dictators and totalitarian regimes.

A relentless opponent of apartheid and repression, he dodged the retribution of the likes of Ferdinand Marcos after criticising his regime in the Philippines.

In South Africa, he narrowly escaped raids on what were deemed illegal worship in defiance of segregation and discrimination.

Growing up in Forres, he would start the day early to help his father in his butcher shop by making sausages from 5.45am onwards before school.

And his capacity for labour never diminished.

An agent of God, his guiding principle was to empower the congregation and the Iona Community was essentially the physical realisation of this spirituality.

The Rev Dr Fraser was also a warden of Scottish Churches House in Dunblane, executive secretary of the World Council of Churches, dean and head of the department of mission at Selly Oak Colleges, research consultant of the Scottish Churches’ Council and an informal ambassador for the British Missionary Society and Boards.

At one point he also joined the Frankie Vaughan initiative to end gang warfare in Glasgow and took on the Thatcher government on the poll tax with the case going to the European Commission for Human Rights before the policy was abandoned.

He was also a councillor in Dunfermline for five years.

The renowned minister was married to late wife Margaret, a woman of high intelligence. She put her career on hold to sustain him and they travelled together whenever they could.

While the loss of beloved Margaret in 1987 wounded him, he carried on with his work.

His substantial legacy includes the Iona Community itself and an impressive body of works including theology, poetry and hymns.

The Rev Dr Fraser is survived by children Anne, Keith as well as Ian, nine grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.