ONE of the longest serving politicians in Essex and a Freeman of the city of Chelmsford has died after a heart operation that he hoped would give him a new lease of life.
Delmas Ashford, a Chelmsford councillor for 56 years, was still working on city business days before the surgery at the London Chest Hospital.
Speaking to the Chronicle only last month, the 82-year-old of Broomfield, Chelmsford, said of his impending operation: "They tell me the odds are not good, but they are not good either way.
"I want to get on with life and my duties, so I am going through with it."
His widow Joyce Ashford, who runs the village Darby and Joan Club where the jovial white-haired councillor played Father Christmas for many years, said: "He faced it bravely. He had a great life and was fed up with being breathless and incapacitated and so was determined to have the surgery come what may.
"We feared he might be housebound after the operation, which just would not have suited his personality at all. I am taking it well because we had discussed it often and he said the inevitability of dying had to be faced.
"We are all so glad he did not suffer."
Cllr Ashford had served on the present district, borough and city council since 1973, mostly as an Independent but joined the Conservatives in 1998 to get help canvassing, defecting from the party in 2011 and standing successfully again as an Independent.
Five years ago he was honoured with the freedom of the borough for being the longest-serving member.
He joined the council, then a rural district, at an unopposed by-election in December 1956 after the death of Cllr Joe Day of the car firm Days of Broomfield.
He stayed on when councils merged to form Chelmsford district, later borough in 1974.
He relinquished his Independent status and joined the Conservatives in order to get help with election campaigning.
He went back to being an Independent for the last local poll saying: "I didn't like the way Broomfield was run from Saffron Walden now, since the parliamentary changes at the last general election.
"I also had some qualms about the U-turns the Government has made on things like the forest privatisation and the NHS, so I thought it right to stand down."
He leaves behind his wife Joyce of 50 years, three children and nine grandchildren and lived all his life in the village.
When he was nominated a freeman, he said: "I am greatly honoured. I wondered why officials have been asking me 'funny' questions recently.
"I am not really a party political animal but strongly believe it is a privilege to be allowed to serve residents as councillor. In fact, I am a bit of a socialist really.
"That's why I support the maximum amount of affordable housing, so that our next generation can find homes in the borough. I joined the Tories to gain their canvassing backing. It's hard doing it on your own."
As a Conservative administration member he chaired the sometimes controversial development committee, which has seen through the new local plan, now in sight of providing the hundreds of new affordable homes he envisioned in 2006.
In work he was a sales representative in local government supply, educated at Mid-Essex Technical College and School of Art, now Anglia Ruskin University, and did national service in Egypt.
His joy of debate came from being encouraged to serve on the YMCA club committee by mentor Broomfield Quaker Mrs Nora Marriage.
He was a prolific letter writer and watchdog for his area dealing with issues as diverse as pedestrian crossings and post office closures.
He was a supporter of a road route across the Chelmer Valley linking Essex Regiment Way with Broomfield Hospital to reduce congestion in the village on the approach to the medical facility.
In 2002, he was the first to demand publicly that the borough council found land for Chelmsford City FC to move back into town after years in exile at Maldon and Billericay after the former New Writtle Street ground was turned into new homes.
At a planning committee in 2008 he slammed his fist on the council chamber desk to imitate the noise residents would suffer if early lorry deliveries were introduced at Tesco in Wood Street.
Chelmsford council leader Roy Whitehead said: "Delmas was a hard-working and diligent councillor and served the residents of Broomfield well for an amazing length of time that will be hard to beat.
"All members of the council will miss him and mourn his passing and we send our condolences to his wife Joyce and his family."
A minute's silence was held at the request of former mayor Cllr Bob Shepherd in his honour at Thursday's development committee, of which he was a former chairman.
Daughter Glynnis added: "It was always dad's wish to 'die in harness' and he did."
