Few people have given such long and distinguished service to Middlesbrough as Walter Ferrier, who has died aged 91.
When Middlesbrough Council’s annual meeting took place on May 23, 2011, it was the first time in decades that Walter’s familiar face had been missing.
A councillor in the town for 57 years, poor health persuaded him not to stand in the 2011 local government elections.
His decision to stand down ended an involvement in politics dating back to 1949, when he joined the Labour League of Youth.
But he traced his interest in civic matters back to the Second World War when in 1941, at the age of 17, he volunteered for the Auxiliary Fire Service at Middlesbrough Fire Station.
Aged 18, he joined the Royal Navy and served in the Middle East and Far East before being demobbed in 1946.
He first became a councillor in 1954 and for most of his years of local government service, represented the Thorntree area.
He served on Teesside County Borough Council and Cleveland County Council, as well as Middlesbrough Council. And he took several of the top jobs, having been Middlesbrough’s mayor in 1974-75, leader of Middlesbrough Council in 1981-83 and chairman of Cleveland County Council in 1985/86.
Walter, whose working life was spent at Anderstones Foundry, ICI Billingham, Middlesbrough Transport, British Steel Corporation and ICI Wilton, received an MBE in 1984 for services to local government and in 1992, was granted the Freedom of the Borough.
And in 1994, he was presented with the Cross of The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany - an honour rarely accorded to anyone outside Germany - to recognise his work forging links between Middlesbrough and German twin town Oberhausen.
Education and facilities for young people were among his main interests as a councillor, and he played important roles in providing new youth clubs for the town and in buying the Stainsacre Hall at Whitby for visits by Middlesbrough youngsters.
In 2007, he quit the Labour Party in the wake of a decision not to re-select him, only to be re-elected as an independent.
And it was that devotion to serving local people that three years earlier saw him receive a framed scroll, recognising his 50 years unbroken service as a councillor.
Presenting the scroll, Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallon said: “In 50 years time, everyone will remember who Walter Ferrier is. He is one of the consciences of this council and he deserves all of the accolades he has received over the years.
“He has made this town proud and he has made this council proud.”
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