The funeral takes place this week of a much loved Ellesmere Port councillor.
Former town mayor and long serving councillor Lynn Clare (Lab), sadly passed away last month after representing Ellesmere Port Town ward since 2011.
She had first been elected to the new Cheshire West and Chester Council in May 2008.
Cllr Clare served on a number of committees and was chairman of the borough’s licensing committee. She was mayor of Ellesmere Port, among many important roles, in 2015/16 with Mrs Jenny Bateman as mayoress.
Cllr Clare was awarded an MBE in 2004 after establishing the charity Parents Against Drug Abuse (PADA) for which she worked for 15 years.
Born and brought up in the Wolverham area of Ellesmere Port she joined the Royal Navy at 17 and stayed in the service until her marriage in 1968, living in Singapore until 1973.
When she returned to the UK she lived in Plymouth and then Poole before returning to Ellesmere Port.
Cllr Clare worked for a local MP from 1992 until 1997 and during that time she established Parents Against Drug Abuse.
She became a member of the former Ellesmere Port and Neston borough council in 2006 before being elected to the new borough council.
In 2011 Cllr Clare was re-elected in the Ellesmere Port Town by-election following the death of Cllr Derek Bateman who had been leader of the Labour group.
Notable positions held by Cllr Clare also included being a member of the Ellesmere Port and Neston district advisory panel and of the Ellesmere Port charter trustees.
In 2012/13 she was mayoress to Ellesmere Port Rossmore ward councillor Pat Merrick (Lab) and becoming the town’s deputy mayor in 2014/15.
Cllr Clare served as the council’s Armed Forces Member Champion in 2015/2016.
Cheshire West and Chester flags at the council’s offices in Ellesmere Port and elsewhere were lowered to half-mast following her death.
Borough council leader Samantha Dixon (Lab) said: “I was privileged to put forward Lynn as mayor of Ellesmere Port in 2015 and I cannot think of anyone who deserved the honour more, she was highly regarded, warmly respected, well-loved and passionate about Ellesmere Port.”
Following her death, Ellesmere Port and Neston MP Justin Madders (Lab) posted: “RIP Councillor Lynn Clare MBE, she gave a lot to our community and will be greatly missed.”
The rector of Ellesmere Port, the Rev Canon Gordon McGuinness said: “So sorry to hear this. She was a very fine person.”
At the borough council, deputy chief executive Charlie Seward paid tribute to Cllr Clare and said: “Cllr Clare was dedicated to serving her local community and worked tirelessly to make a positive difference to the lives of the people she was elected to represent. Being awarded an MBE for the work she did to tackle the problem of drug abuse was recognition for the passion she had for helping others.”
Daughter Dani Jones posted later: “Thank you all for you thoughts, love and hearing your memories of our mum is making me so very proud, was so touched to see the flag at the council lowered to half mast out of respect. She loved her town and her town clearly loved her back. Love to you all and thank you.”
The funeral will take place on Friday March 9 at Blacon Crematorium at 11.20am and afterwards at the Civic Hall at noon.
