A civic funeral heard a series of ‘outstanding’ tributes to former Bolton Council leader David Greenhalgh, who died last month.
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, deputy leader of the council Martyn Cox and close friend Coun Hilary Fairclough were among those who paid tribute to the Conservative group leader at a packed service at Bolton Parish Church.
Coun Greenhalgh died aged 53 after a short stay in hospital on July 29.
The funeral procession, headed by the Mayor of Bolton, Coun Linda Thomas, travelled through Tonge Moor and Turton Road to Bromley Cross and stopped at Dunscar war memorial.
The location was often talked about with immense pride by Coun Greenhalgh, who represented the Bromley Cross area on the authority since 2006 and became leader of the council in 2019.
Several Bolton fire-fighters had gathered at the war memorial and formed a guard of honour as the cortège paused.
The procession later stopped in front of the Town Hall on Victoria Square where many council staff and members of the public had gathered to pay their respects.
As the cortège pulled away from the civic square warm applause broke out among those attending.
At the parish church four of Coun Greenhalgh’s council colleagues, Couns Nadim Muslim, Andy Morgan, Toby Hewitt and Stuart Hartigan along with Bolton MPs Chris Green and Mark Logan, acted as pallbearers.
Beginning the tributes at the service, deputy leader of the council, Martyn Cox, said: “All of us miss his leadership and dedication already.
“We will all take comfort in the good times we had and remember David with a smile.
“I know he would have been humbled by the genuine outpouring of love and affection from so many people since his death.”
Andy Burnham said: “As the former MP for Leigh I’d like to think I know a little bit about our neighbours in Bolton.
“David was Bolton to a ‘t’. A true son of the town. He was warm, welcoming, kind and down to earth.
“When he first became leader in 2019 it must have been daunting for him to sit down at meetings with Labour leaders from the other nine Greater Manchester boroughs and a Labour mayor.
“But he immediately forged a good working relationship with all those he worked with noting his strength of character and likeability.”
Mr Burnham said that Coun Greenhalgh should be remembered for his dedication and tireless work in leading the borough of Bolton through the pandemic and that he had contributed greatly to the combined authority’s work on culture and performing arts.
He added that Coun Greenhalgh strove every day to make Bolton a better place.
During the service the congregation heard from Coun Hilary Fairclough, a lifelong friend.
She said: “David was beloved of my family. A kind of brother, son and uncle rolled into one.
“His smile and enthusiasm was infectious, he would stick with you through thick and thin.”
She recalled Coun Greenhalgh’s love of music and performance and how as a young man he had moved to London to work in the theatre-and perform in comedy groups.
She said that career had been cut short by ill health and that her friend had endured three kidney transplants, a triple heart bypass and back surgery in subsequent years.
Leading the funeral service, Rev Canon Dr Chris Bracegirdle praised Coun Greenhalgh for his leadership and true ‘courage’ in both his political life and his health tribulations.
He said the tributes heard were ‘outstanding’ in the truest sense of the word.
At the end of the service two pipers and two drummers entered the church in full costume with the coffin carried out as they played Dvorak’s New World Symphony.
Coun Greenhalgh was then laid to rest after a private committal at Overdale crematorium.
