A COMMUNITY has paid tribute to a long-serving parish councillor and magistrate who continued with his duties while facing illness.

Members of village organisations including Addingham Parish Council were among the congregation who paid their respects to Gordon Campbell at a service at St Peter’s Church in Addingham on Friday, March 27.

Mr Campbell, 68, died on March 19 following a period of illness.

He was known to many Addingham folk as a parish councillor, previously a chairman of the parish council, manager of Addingham Football Club, and a local magistrate.

He also played a key role in negotiations for the village’s new medical centre. Colleagues say his many loves included Newcastle United FC, his family and the village of Addingham.

Originally from Wallsend, Newcastle-upon Tyne, Mr Campbell moved to the Leeds area in his work as an insurance broker, before settling in Addingham.

He leaves his wife, Carol, children, and grandchildren.

In a tribute, Addingham Parish Council said he had continued to serve the parish council while bravely facing his illness.

The council said: “He always had a story to tell, never took himself too seriously and he always had time to help. He never left a room without creating a smile or a chuckle from those in his presence.”

One of his latter duties on the parish council was assessing the allocation of grit bins in the village, and he jokingly named himself as the ‘King of Grit’.

Councillor Dawn Brady said: “We all loved Gordon very much and it was with ‘true grit’ that he fought this dreadful disease for as long as he did, he may be gone but he’ll never be forgotten.”