James "Jim" Alexander Leckie never strayed far from home.
Mr Leckie, longtime owner of Leckies Butchery, always lived within a one mile radius of his St Clair business.
Sandra Millar said her father and mother, Eleanor, were staunch St Clair locals.
"In their married life, they’ve only ever lived in three houses, all in St Clair - him and Mum have always been very one-eyed about St Clair."
The couple used to say "there’s nowhere else to live but St Clair".
The butchery was originally opened in 1927 by Mr Leckie’s father Alexander Leckie.
Mr Leckie started working for the family business in the 1950s when he left school, and eventually took over full ownership in 1986.
"Prior to the supermarkets going big time into their butchery businesses, Dad put through a lot of apprentices . . . that’s basically a thing of the past now."
Recently, the butchery won a gold medal award for their ham.
"I know Dad would be absolutely chuffed with that," Mrs Millar said.
In 1993, Mr Leckie made headlines when he broke the world record for the heaviest haggis.
He was very proud of that achievement, Mrs Millar said.
During the 1990s, "haggis ceremonies was all the rage," and Mr Leckie was the go-to guy.
The store’s true claim to fame however was handing out a cheerio to all the children who visited.
"Well, they still do that, but they’ve now got to give the cheerio out in a plastic bag," Mrs Millar said.
As a young boy, Mr Leckie was in charge of delivering meat to the back door of big houses in St Clair, and checking out what prices the other butcheries in the area were offering.
In 2007, Mr Leckie retired and the ownership of the butchery was taken over by his son-in-law, Grant Miller.
Mr Leckie also loved animals, and for many years had a wandering peacock that made its way around St Clair regularly.
"He absolutely loved anything like that - he loved big birds, and always threatened Mum that he would get an ostrich."
Mr Leckie married his wife, Eleanor, nee Pritchett, in 1960 at the Holy Cross Church in St Kilda.
Later in life, he went became a vestryman and a church warden at the same church.
The couple had four children. First was Duncan, then came Sandra, Rachael and Belinda.
He also had seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
"Dad died peacefully - when he died, he wasn’t alone, and he was very much loved.
"It was a privilege to be with him when he died," Mrs Leckie said.
His daughter, Belinda Leckie said her father was a very keen swimmer and a life-long member of the St Clair Surf Life Saving Club, first joining up as a teenager.
Mr Leckie went to the first World Masters Surf Life Saving Champs at Red Beach in 1991 — he won some medals and beach flags, and also gave the club its first IRBs.
"He made sure that we all learnt to swim properly, and he certainly passed that on to his grandchildren as well, going out swimming with them and going out on the surf."
Ms Leckie said while the butchery was a large part of his life, in more recent times music had been his passion.
"He was always very shy about his music," she said.
He had his finger in many other pies - he was involved with the Otago and Southland Organ Association and was part of the Otago branch of the Vintage Car Association.
The car passion came after he inherited his father’s Rover 100.
Mr Leckie had years of organ lessons and in the mid-1980s bought himself an electric organ.
"He was a very nervous performer, but he still got out there and gave it a go — he often won trophies. He was very proud of his trophies."
Mr Leckie died on May 24.
He is survived by his wife, four children, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and his sisters Margaret Da Rin and Jeanette Duncan. — Laine Priestley
