Tribute to 'family man' and former Wellingborough mayor who has died aged 90
The family of Michael Holmes, a former mayor of Wellingborough and local councillor, have paid tribute to the man who showed ‘such a dedication to the community.’
Michael Holmes spent much of his life in local politics, being elected as a Labour councillor in 1964 for the Croyland ward in which he served for 18 years.
In 1973, he became a magistrate based at the petty sessional division of Wellingborough and was the town’s mayor for the years 1975 and 1976.
He also served as a member of the board of governors at several Wellingborough schools and chairman of the board of visitors at Wellingborough Prison in the 1980s.
Michael’s son, Philip Holmes, said his dad really cared about Wellingborough and the people who lived there.
He said: “He was a huge family man, he was a lovely, lovely guy.
"He really cared about his town, about the people of Wellingborough. When he was mayor in 1975 he carried out more public appearances than any mayor before him.
"He showed such a dedication to Wellingborough and the community.
“I know it sounds like a cliche, but he wasn’t just a father, he was a friend as well. You could talk to him about anything. Family was everything to him.”
Michael worked as a maintenance electrician for British Leyland from 1951 until 1978.
He was an avid Manchester United fan, loved reading crime fiction novels and watching quiz programmes, even appearing on BBC’s Pointless, making it through to the final round.
He lived in Wellingborough his whole life, and was ‘a huge family man’, having been married to his wife, Doreen for 69 years with three sons, seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.