Tributes to former Staffordshire County Council chairman

John O'Leary MBE was 89.

Mr O'Leary moved to Hednesford in 1946 from Fermoy, Ireland. He was chairman of Staffordshire County Council from 1989-1996 – the second longest serving member for more than a century.

Also a former chairman of Cannock Chase Council, town councillor and magistrate, Mr O'Leary was awarded the highest award of 'honorary alderman' in recognition of his services to the council.

In 2007, he also received an MBE for his exceptional service to the county of Staffordshire. And an education centre on Marquis Drive and function room in Pye Green Community Centre are both named in his honour.

He married his late wife Madge 'who was always by his side' in 1948 and was stepfather to Peter, aged 76, and Janice, 70. He had one sister, Mary.

After demobilising from the RAF to Hednesford following service at several camps in Ireland, he worked in the building trade before going into mining in 1947. Mr O'Leary worked at a number of local collieries including West Cannock No.5 and Lea Hall in Rugeley but retired in 1984.

His time in the collieries led to an interest in politics and eventually became involved in 1971 as a district councillor, before excelling into senior councillor roles.

Son-in-law, Tony Street, 71, described Mr O'Leary as a 'larger than life character who was fiercely Irish but had Staffordshire and Hednesford in particular deep to his heart'.

He said: "John was a well loved for man by a lot of people in the area and I don't think the area is going to see a man like John for a very long while.

"He fought tooth and nail to get money for the local area and any work he wanted or needed doing he would get done by local people."

Mr O'Leary also played an instrumental role in turning a former First World War hut into a visitors centre as well as helping to donate a red telephone box to Cannock's twin town, Datteln in Germany.

Hednesford Town Council manager Peter Harrison added: "I'd known John for many years – since I first moved to the area.

"He was a very fair and reasonable character who worked tirelessly for the people of Hednesford. Many local people will be very upset to hear of his passing."

The funeral service took place yesterday at Our Lady of Lourdes, Hednesford, followed by interment.