Former Telford Mayor dies as tributes paid to 'real gentleman'

The Hadley and Leegomery councillor died on Saturday.

Born in Jamaica, Leon moved to the borough in 1961, married his wife Barbara and had two daughters, Christine and Rachel.

His impressive career spanned the legal system, the church, charities and politics. He served on the Telford Youth Bench, was Deputy Lieutenant of the county and was awarded an MBE.

In 2011, Leon was elected to Telford & Wrekin Council and voted to represent the borough as Mayor just two years later.

Leader of Telford & Wrekin Shaun Davies, said he was very sorry to hear the news of the death of his friend and colleague who was “a real gentleman and outstanding public servant”.

Councillor Davies said: “Leon served both the borough and the country with such impressive dedication as a magistrate, a councillor, working with the government in various guises, in the home and foreign office and as a very senior member of the Methodist church.

“He was very impressive, and given his own achievements, very understated.

“He has been working hard to serve the residents of Hadley and Leegomery right up until the end, having only turned his council phone five days ago.

“I send my love to Barbara and the whole family at this sad time.”

Jamaica born and bred, the weekend he arrived in Wellington in 1961, he literally bumped into a man who recognised him because he'd known Leon's father from his own Jamaica days.

His father was half Scottish, half Jamaican and his mother was Indian.

Speaking in 2013, he recalled: "My Scottish grandfather went to Jamaica and my father was born and brought up there. He worked in Cuba for a while then came back to take over grandfather's farm in a village called Tranquillity.

"There were 10 of us, two older sisters came to London to work for the NHS and a brother came over as well. But I arrived in Wellington alone on a Friday night and on the Sunday morning, went to the Methodist church. The man who gave me a book was the same one who had taken my train ticket on the Friday.

"And as I was going up the steps to the church another man recognised me, which was amazing. He was called William Russell and had been in the British Army in Jamaica. When he retired, he went into the Colonial office in Kingston and got to know two of my uncles. He would make the 50-mile trip to our house, I was only small and didn't remember him but he saw the family in me."

He later married Barbara and had two daughters, Christine and Rachel, became a magistrate, worked his way through the system at GKN Sankey while still studying, remained long-time Labour supporter and remained committed to the Methodism in which he was brought up.

He studied theology, was a lay preacher for many years and in 1984, the likeable lad from Jamaica, became vice-president of British Methodism.