‘Filby was his life’: Tributes paid to former mayor of borough

Tributes have poured in for a stalwart of the Great Yarmouth Borough, David Thompson MBE. Picture: Archant

David Thompson MBE, died on Sunday, December 9 at the age of 88.

Mr Thompson had served Great Yarmouth as a mayor in 2001 and deputy mayor in 2002.

He was also a councillor for the Blofield and Flegg Rural District and Great Yarmouth borough council for 46 years.

Council leader Graham Plant described him as a stalwart of the borough.

David Thompson MBE at the Great Yarmouth Bowls Festival in 2001. Picture: Archant

'David was a lovely man. Filby was his life and he made the village a better place to be.

'He made a fantastic service to the borough and he will be sorely missed,' Mr Plant said.

In 2001, Mr Thompson was awarded an MBE - presented by Prince Charles and in 2006 he was honoured with the Freedom of the Borough.

His son, Adrian Thompson said: 'He was a man who lived for work and people.

'He loved what he did and lived a full life alongside his family.'

Mr Thompson was born in Filby on December 30, 1929 to Walter and Maudie Lillian Thompson.

He attended Filby School from January 1935 to December 1944.

Him and his wife, Doreen, married in Martham, on March 24, 1951 and lived at Broad Farm.

In 1963, he built his own bungalow in what was his father's market garden and lived there until his recent death.

Mr Thompson moved to Filby in 1964 and took his father's job as a local postman, delivering to Fleggburgh, Thurne, Clippesby and Billockby, twice a day, covering 16 miles a trip.

Mr Thompson became a sub postmaster at Filby in 1966 and opened the Post Office and village store on the present site.

In May 1965, he was elected onto Filby Parish Council and became chairman in 1970, a position he held until 2016, when succeeded by son Adrian.

Adrian was instrumental in starting up the Filby in Bloom group in 1995.

Filby has represented Anglia in Bloom at the Britain in Bloom finals in 2008, 2009, 2011 to 2015 and 2017 gaining five gold medals - the highest standard of recognition.

Mr Thompson's funeral will be held on Tuesday, December 18 at All Saints Church in Filby.