Tributes have been paid to community stalwart John Kershaw, who has died aged 83.
John, of Shrigley Road, Bollington, was a former councillor and Mayor of Bollington, and a member of countless community organisations, from youth and senior citizens groups to initiatives set up to protect and promote the town.
John, who was married to Olive and had three sons, died at home from heart failure at his home on Shrigley Road on Thursday, February 22.
Paying tribute to his dad, his eldest son Jon said: “My dad didn’t have a bad word to say about anybody. He really threw himself into the community and would volunteer for everything. Looking back at all the things he achieved was pretty impressive. He would do all the things that nobody else would volunteer to do because he recognised it was for the good of the community.”
John had three sons – Jon, 49, Alistair, 47, and Stuart, 46 – and six grand children.
Born in 1934, he served his National Service in the RAF before he and Olive moved to Bollington in 1971 when he worked as a general manager for Michelin Tyres and ATS in Manchester.
He was a huge supporter of Bollington Brass Band, the local scouts, sea cadets and air cadets, and the Senior Citizens Club.
He was also a governor at St John’s School and Mayor of Bollington in 2003/04.
A tree warden and member of the Friends of Bollington Recreation Ground, he was also instrumental in setting up Bollington Initiative Trust – a charitable trust set up to preserve the town’s environment and heritage – and the Bollington Shuttle Awards, which recognised valued members of the community.
John – who had a furniture restoration workshop on Store Street in Bollington – would fix up old wooden shuttles from the local mills to present as a special honour.
And he was the 25th person to receive the award when his son Alistair arranged for him to receive one himself.
Alistair, who runs a car autoshop, said: “I just thought he is doing all this work for the community, so if anyone deserved one of these awards he did. I bought one off the internet and polished it up for him. He was really pleased with it.”
He added: “Everybody loved and had a lot of respect for my dad, he was a wonderful man and did his very best for his family and the community. He was a good old fine chap.”
Paying tribute, Bollington Coun Ken Edwards, said: “John was absolutely dedicated to the community in Bollington.
“He was a personable and committed individual, he will be greatly missed as a contributor to life in Bollington.”
John’s funeral will be held on Friday, March 16. There will be a short service at Pott Shrigley Church at 2.15pm, followed by a service at Macclesfield Crematorium at 3.20pm and a reception at Hollin Hall.
Donations if desired are requested for Bollington Brass Band.
