Our father, Bernard Grayling, who has died aged 87, was a public servant of the old school. He started out as an office boy at Felixstowe urban district council, in Suffolk, in the 1940s and ended up serving as the chief executive of Broadland district council, in Norfolk, for the decade until his retirement in 1989.
While he was at Broadland, which covers the area around Norwich, he played a pivotal role in establishing the Broads Authority to oversee conservation, planning, recreation and waterways in the region. He was justly proud of Norwich Sport Village, which provided leisure facilities, including a swimming pool for local residents, and the sheltered housing schemes that were delivered under his leadership. He also served on the court of the University of East Anglia.
He was born in Felixstowe, the first of seven children of Albert, a wheelwright and builder’s carpenter, and Mary (nee Moyes), a devout Roman Catholic. Bernard left school aged 14 and began work for the town council in 1943. Self-educated, he was a voracious reader throughout his life. Of liberal views, he was pro-European and a dedicated trade union member. As the returning officer for many public elections he believed it inappropriate to reveal his vote and never did.
After national service in Egypt he returned to Felixstowe and participated in the recovery following the 1953 floods. He moved to Norwich, where he met Janet Ellenford, when they were both working for St Faiths and Aylsham district council. They married in 1958 and we four boys were born within five years.
In retirement, our father continued his interest in, and service to, the Broads as the treasurer of Friends of Norfolk Windmills for a number of years.
He is survived by Janet, three brothers, his children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
