Following the sad news of the death of Honorary Alderman Tom Mason on Monday, 28 March the Leader of Medway Council, Cllr Alan Jarrett, and Chief Executive, Neil Davies, have paid tribute to Tom.
A perfect gentleman
Cllr Alan Jarrett said: “Tom was a dedicated local councillor who was passionate about the community he represented for more than 40 years. He was a great character and will be dearly missed by everyone he worked with. He was renown for his sense of humour, and his ability to put even the most difficult of problems into perspective - seeking to find a solution even when things were at their most difficult. He was a mentor when I first joined Medway Council in 1997, and I owe him so much on a personal level for his wise council and unstinting support. He was a good friend and a perfect gentleman at all times. I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to Tom’s family and friends and this difficult time.”
Will be greatly missed
Chief Executive of Medway Council, Neil Davies, said: “We are greatly saddened to hear of the death of Tom Mason. He was incredibly proud to represent his local community for so many years and will be greatly missed by us all. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his family and friends.”
Tom represented Medway continuously for more than 40 years, having been first elected to the Frindsbury Extra ward on Strood Rural District Council in 1969 and Rochester Upon Medway City Council from 1973 to 1997. He was also elected to Kent County Council in 1977 serving until 1989. Tom then represented the Frindsbury Extra and Strood Rural wards on Medway Council from 1997 until 2015.
Tom served as Mayor of Rochester upon Medway City Council on two occasions, in 1984-5 and again in 1995-6. He was a member of Medway Council’s Cabinet from 2001 until 2012, serving as Portfolio Holder for Key Service Planning, Corporate Services and Adult Services during that time. On 7 October 2021, Tom was awarded the title of Honorary Alderman at a special council meeting in recognition of his outstanding service.
Tom served as Vice Chairman of the Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority and had been a member of the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust and the Rochester Bridge Trust.
As a mark of respect, the council flag is flying at half-mast at Gun Wharf today (Wednesday, 30 March).