AN emotional evening saw friends of Jonathan Williams share warm memories of the late town clerk.

Monday’s scheduled Middlewich Town Council meeting was restructured to allow councillors and members of the public to pay tribute to Jonathan, following his death last week aged 56.

While all other public agenda items were pushed back to October, councillors and residents gathered in the Victoria Buildings to say thank you to Jonathan for his 34 years of council service, with a book of condolence opened.

Town councillor Mike Hunter led the tributes, recalling Jonathan’s involvement in community, heritage and events projects.

Northwich Guardian:

Cllr Hunter said: “Jonathan was a Middlewicher and he started his career here in August 1985 as Middlewich town clerk.

“That was a brave decision by the council – Jonathan was straight out of university. Little did they know, he would give his whole working life to this council and this town.

“In those 34 years he was to change people’s perceptions of what a town clerk should be. He drove forward with a can-do attitude, progressive and forward-thinking.

“Jonathan has been the anchor that MTC has relied upon. He was one of life’s true gentlemen.”

Known fondly as ‘Mr Middlewich’, Jonathan made an impact on all those he encountered and worked with.

Fiona Bruce, Middlewich MP since 2010, paid tribute to ‘the epitome of a humble public servant’.

She said: “Jonathan was a person who truly cared for the people of his community.

“My abiding memory of him isn’t sitting behind a desk but out in the streets at some event, with a high-vis jacket on, getting stuck in and making sure everyone whether local or visitor enjoyed whatever was going on.

“There were no airs and graces about Jonathan. He combined a willingness to get stuck in with a strategic vision which he brought to bear in his role.

“Over the years officials come and go, but Jonathan to me was more than an official. He was a friend. I will miss him greatly.”

Tributes also came in from neighbouring Winsford and Holmes Chapel councils, while hundreds of comments have flooded in on social media.

Community mayor David Roberts recalled fond memories of Jonathan, including the pair’s Folk and Boat Festival work. He said: “He did so much hard work behind the scenes. He is completely irreplaceable and we’ll never see his like again.”