TRIBUTES have been paid to a popular and well-respected former councillor who died earlier this week.

Terry Faulkner, 80, died on April 22 following complications of vascular dementia.

A long-term Tadley resident, Mr Faulkner, right, represented Tadley South as a Conservative on Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council in several stints from the early 1990s until 2007. He also sat on Tadley Town Council for 16 years until his retirement in 2011.

Paying tribute to his father, his son Mark Faulkner, from Odiham, said: “He was very outgoing – always interested and interesting. He loved spending time with people, which is why he got involved with the council and other things. “He was a loving father and grand-father and leaves a hole that will be difficult to fill. He will be sorely missed.”

Mr Faulkner was born and raised in west London. At 17, he joined the Army, and during his four years with the Signals Corps was posted to Hong Kong during the Korean War.

After leaving the military, he joined IBM as a salesman and moved with the company to Basingstoke in 1980 where he settled with his wife Ann, in Tadley At IBM, he rose up the ranks to become a senior manager before taking early retirement in 1992.

His retirement saw him divert his efforts into community work. As well as borough and town council posts, he worked with the AWE Liaison Commit-tee, the Turbary Allotment Charity, the North Hampshire Primary Care Trust and the Tadley Community Centre.

Colleagues described him as a dedica-ted public servant. Tadley South borough councillor David Leeks said: “He was a first-class gentleman. He lived in Tadley and did an awful lot for Tadley.

“The nice thing about Terry was that while we did not always agree, and had our little fall-outs, we always ended up in the pub afterwards.”

Tadley Town Council chairman Cllr Jo Slimin said: “It was with sadness that we heard Terry had passed away. As a councillor, I served with him for many years, sometimes on different political sides, but he was always a gentleman. He was a good public servant.”

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Conservative leader Cllr Clive Sanders said: “He really was one of the councillors who did make a difference to the people he represented, and a difference to the council as a whole through years of really thoughtful service.”

And Tadley UKIP Central ward member Cllr Stephen West said: “Terry always spoke up for Tadley in council meetings. He was known as Mr Tadley, and Tadley is a lot poorer for his passing.”