Mary Mears, the former Conservative leader of Brighton and Hove City Council from 2008 to 2011, has died at the age of 77.
Mary was also a ward councillor for Rottingdean Coastal before she had to retire from her post following a stroke.
During her time as a councillor, she oversaw the planning permission and development of the Amex Stadium and secured more than £1 million in investment to deliver the restoration of Saltdean Lido.
Mary’s friends and colleagues have shared warm words about the ex-councillor.
Dawn Barnett, former Brighton and Hove City councillor, has been friends with Mary since she was elected in 2004.
Dawn said: “She was such a lovely person, she genuinely was. She was so kind and generous.
“I became a councillor in 2004 and she took me under her wing and taught me everything I needed to know.
“We spoke every morning on the phone at 7am and put the world to rights.”
Mary was due to become the city’s mayor in 2023 before suffering ill health.
Dawn added: “The biggest upset is that she was hoping to become mayor, it is such a shame.
“Everybody is going to miss Mary, she was so well liked.
“She was the best leader this city ever knew.”
Alistair McNair, Brighton and Hove City councillor for Patcham and Hollingbury and leader of the Conservative group, said: “We are very sad to hear of the passing of Mary Mears.
“She was an exemplary councillor, a model councillor.
“She won’t mind me saying this but she was a battle axe, very strong opinions, but she was so inspiring.
“People listened to her. She worked cross party to get things done for her residents.
“She loved her community, she was very warm and generous.
“She will be sorely missed, but we will always remember and think of her, especially when I am standing up to do my speeches.
“We will try to emulate her passion and compassion for her community and the city.”
Andy Winter, former CEO of Brighton Housing Trust (BHT), said: “It was over housing and homelessness that I first tangled with, then campaigned alongside, and finally became friends with Mary.
“In spite of our political differences, we found common purpose around homelessness and anti-social behaviour, agreeing on many solutions, although not always sharing the same analysis as to their causes.
“I soon realised that Mary was coming from a place of compassion for homeless people.
“Mary also knew how to give me a hard time. When BHT Sussex was opening a new housing scheme in her ward, she organised public meetings which she invited, no, instructed, me to attend.
“I was given a right doing over. Fortunately, the scheme proved to be a success and Mary later confided in me that she always knew it would be ok notwithstanding her taking an uncompromising stand advocating on behalf of her constituents.”
Jean Calder, a former Labour councillor and chairwoman of the Mary Clarke Statue Appeal, said: “Mary Mears was a strong, clever working class woman, a market stall holder, a hairdresser and later a leader of the council. It is a tragedy that she died as she did because she had so much more to offer. I first knew Mary as a political opponent, and, arrogant as I was, it took a while for me to realise how committed she was to all members of the community she served. Over time I realised we shared a deep concern to protect women from violence. We began to meet for coffee and when we launched the campaign for a statue for suffragette Mary Clarke, Mary was one of the first to support. On our first video she spoke movingly about all the suffragettes had done for women like her and the need to remember them. Commemoration was important to Mary, especially those who like Clarke had died violently or in conflict. She was a stalwart of the Royal British Legion”
Mary’s funeral details are yet to be confirmed.
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