Tributes paid to former Thatcham mayor David Wootton

David Wootton, of Bath Road, died at the Duchess of Kent Hospice, Reading, after battling Parkinson’s disease for more than eight years.
Mr Wootton, who moved to Thatcham in 1964, aged 33, was elected to Thatcham Parish Council in 1967 and later in 1973 was elected its chairman and then mayor, in 1976, after it became a town. Between 2002 and 2009 Mr Wootton was the town council’s internal auditor, and was auditor for the Turnfields Charity accounts. He was appointed a town council trustee on the parochial charities Thatcham Relief in Need and Lady Winchcombe Charity in 1978 and remained in that position until 2012.
He was awarded a Thatcham Civic Award in 2010, presented in recognition of people who have carried out work for the benefit of the local community.
The leader of Thatcham Town Council, Lee Dillon, said: “I had the pleasure of knowing David since I was first elected in 2007 as he served as the council’s internal auditor and through his approach to making sure the Thatcham Parochial Charity, which he chaired, supported the victims of the 2007 floods.
“It was, however, through others, not him,that I first learnt of the positive impact he had on the community of Thatcham.
“From being the only person to be both the chairman of the parish council and mayor of the town council, through to his longevity as the chairman of governors of Kennet school, David gave his time, knowledge and expertise selflessly to his town.
“In my second term as mayor, David asked if I would support the Parkinson’s Society as one of my charities.
“A request like this coming from David was so typical in that he was always thinking of others. I know that when he stepped down from various bodies in recent years for health reasons, he was always keen to ensure that the person who took over could show the same level of commitment as he had, so that the charity or organisation would carry on benefiting.
“It really is truly sad to see the passing of a man who, for me, embodied what it means to be part of a community.”
He was a governor at Kennet School for 39 years, with 30 of them as chairman, and as a result, in 2007, Kennet’s new sixth-form building was named after him.
The headteacher at the Stoney Lane school, Paul Dick, said that he first met Mr Wootton when was interviewed for the headship in 1989.
He said: “Immediately he struck me as a very determined and hardworking member of the community.
“He was fantastic to work with, because of his determination and support.”
Mr Dick said that Mr Wootton was very active in the development of the school and that it would not have been the establishment it was today without him.
He added: “The local community owes David a huge debt for what he achieved.
“We are lucky to have known him and to have had him here at the school.”