Councillors saddened by former mayor's death (From Stourbridge News)

Councillors saddened by former mayor's death

3:27pm Monday 3rd August 2009

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A FORMER Lye and Wollescote councillor and Mayor of Dudley has died after a long illness.

John Simpson, who died aged 77 on Friday July 31, spent more than 20 years as a Labour councillor from 1980 until his retirement in 2003.

He was Dudley Mayor between 1994 and 1995 and in 2004 was made an Honorary Alderman to recognise his dedication to the borough.

Councillor Pat Martin, the current Mayor of Dudley, said: “Members of all parties are all extremely saddened to hear about the death of John Simpson.

“He served the people of this borough extremely well as Mayor of Dudley and as a local councillor, and as a fellow Amblecote resident he will be sadly missed.”

Born and bred in Amblecote, Mr Simpson was originally elected to represent Amblecote and Wollaston until boundary changes moved his ward to Lye and Wollescote.

As a councillor he fought for the construction of Stourbridge Leisure Centre, which he regarded as one of his major achievements during his time in office.

Labour group leader cllr David Sparks said: “John Simpson was among the last of a dying breed of politicians who had come up the hard way through the shop floor.

“He was also a former railwayman who could relive history with his tales of the age of steam and GWR.”

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