Whidbey Island resident and longtime community activist Malcolm Ferrier died at his Langley home on Tuesday, Sept. 6.

He was 80.

Ferrier was well-known on South Whidbey for his involvement with and founding of the Unitarian church, as well as his work on land-use and environmental issues and his volunteer efforts at local schools. He volunteered with Common Cause, Hemlock Society and as a golf instructor for South Whidbey Parks & Recreation District.

Ferrier was born in India in 1930 to Scottish parents before attending boarding school in his parents’ homeland at the age of 6. During World War II, Ferrier was evacuated to Toronto, Canada.

Upon returning to Scotland, he attended Dollar Academy and then the University of St. Andrews, where he earned degrees in chemistry and geology.

He worked for Atomic Energy of Canada and American Nuclear Society. He retired to Langley in the mid 1990s, where he lived until his death.

Ferrier suffered from a rare kidney disease in his 60s that led to peritoneal dialysis, which resulted in a kidney transplant.

Ferrier is survived by his wife Wendy and his sons Neil, Fergus, Andrew and Grant.

Memorial services have not been announced.