EAST Hampshire District (EHDC) Council has paid tribute to former leader Elsa Bulmer, who died last week.
In a statement, the council said: “Popular Petersfield councillor and former chairman of East Hampshire District Council, Elsa Bulmer, has died aged 95.
“Mrs Bulmer was elected as an independent member on May 6, 1976 and was successfully returned in 1979, 1983, 1987, May 1991 and May 1995.
“She originally stood in Petersfield North East and finally represented Petersfield St Mary’s, and was elected council chairman in 1991.
“She was also a long-standing member of Petersfield Town Council and served as the town’s mayor.”
Current EHDC chairman Cllr David Ashcroft said Mrs Bulmer was committed to the people she served.
He said: “Elsa was a lovely person and hugely popular in the council and around the community.
“She worked tirelessly to improve the lives of the residents she served.
“She will be remembered with great fondness by this council. Our thoughts are with her family at this sad time.”
Throughout her time as a councillor, she refused to join a mainstream party, and remained an Independent, saying party politics had no place at local levels. Such was her popularity, Elsa only stood down as a councillor when her health finally began deteriorating.
Former mayor, current town councillor and contemporary of Elsa Bulmer, Mary Vincent said: “I joined the town council around 1995, and Elsa was one of the established councillors.
“She was very nice, very helpful and I really enjoyed serving with her.
“She was a very hard working councillor. She got things done.”