Tributes paid to four former Bexhill mayors

At a virtual meeting held on Monday (June 1), council chairman Brian Drayson led the tributes to former chief executive David Powell and former Bexhill councillors Patrick Douart, Brian Kentfield, Megan Traice and Peter Fairhurst.

Cllr Drayson, who was appointed as the council’s chairman at the same meeting, said: “Regrettably, since our last council meeting in February four former councillors and a former chief executive have passed away.

“As a group we offer our heartfelt sympathies and condolences to their families and friends.”

Patrick Douart passed away on February 28, aged 71.

He had served as a Conservative councillor for Rother District Council (RDC) from May 2006 to May last year, representing Bexhill St Mark’s ward until May 2011 then Bexhill Sackville ward.

Brian Kentfield, aged 82,  passed away on March 27.

Mr Kentfield had been a Bexhill councillor for more than 35 years, first taking office in 1983 and (following a short hiatus) served up until May last year.

Peter Fairhust passed away on March 29. He had served as a councillor between 1999 and 2007, and later served as chief executive of Bexhill Museum from 2007 to 2011.

Megan Traice passed away on April 13 at the age of 92. She had served as a councillor between 1979 and 1991, and was the “driving force” behind the founding of the St Jude’s Womens’ Refuge.

All four had served as the mayor of Bexhill during their time as councillors.

David Powell passed away on April 19, aged 79.

Mr Powell had been Rother District Council’s chief executive, before his retirement in 2001.

Speaking about Mr Powell, Cllr Drayson said: “He will be remembered for his dry sense of humour and calm nature, but also his kind-heartedness and commitment to the authority.

Tributes were also paid by Cllr Carl Maynard, leader of the council’s Conservative group.

He said: “We have lost a number of ex-councillors and the contribution of all of them particularly to the town of Bexhill can never be underestimated.

“In losing Brian [Kentfield], Bexhill has lost one of its finest ambassadors. Brian was known not only as a prominent councillor – and one who was chairman of the planning committee for many, many years – but he was also the owner of the lighting shop, which traded for many decades in the town centre.

“His contribution to Bexhill and Rother as a whole is, frankly, one that is unlikely to be surpassed by any of us. He was a genuine and sincere man with a great sense of humour [who] was respected regardless of anybody’s political affiliation.”

Cllr Maynard also paid tribute to Peter Fairhust, who he said was “an eccentric individual, and proudly so”.

He described Patrick Douart, meanwhile, as “a larger-than-life character who delighted in being an excellent ward member.”

Cllr Mary Barnes also paid tribute to Brian Kentfield during the meeting. She said: “I was very proud indeed to count Brian Kentfield as a personal friend. Both he and his wife Sue were such an integral part of Bexhill.

“He was a man of total integrity. A man on whose word you could totally depend.

“He was a devoted family man and we will miss the lovely conversations and we – both John and I – will miss him dreadfully. He was one of our closest friends.”

Cllr Barnes also described Mr Kentfield as an ‘unflappable’ and ‘superb’ chair of the council’s planning committee.

The council’s Labour group leader Christine Bayliss, meanwhile, paid tributes to Megan Traice.

Cllr Bayliss said: “Megan Traice was on the council when I was first elected in 1989 and for someone like me – a young woman councillor – she was a real inspiration. As a person, she was a force of nature.

“She did roll up her sleeves and would do her very best to deliver some fantastic achievements in and for Bexhill.

“Without Megan Traice the people of Pebsham would have been waiting a very long time for Pebsham Community Primary School, for which she single-handedly gathered all the petitions and signatures to get that delivered.

“She saved Bexhill Museum in the 1980s. It was one the verge of collapse as an organisation and she did a fantastic job to get [it] going so that the museum is what you see today.

“For me – as a woman – her most glorious achievement was the establishment of St Jude’s Refuge in Bexhill. I can’t begin to tell the stories I’ve heard from people who took up places at St Jude’s and how much they appreciated what Megan did.”

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