A Birtley councillor described as a "true friend" to the area died last week after years of service to the people of his ward.
Coun Neil Weatherley died on December 12, aged 64.
Born in Chester-le-Street, he lived in Birtley for almost 40 years. As a child he attended Birtley South Secondary and then his local comprehensive school Lord Lawson of Beamish.
Coun Weatherley was married with two grown up children, both of whom are also former pupils at Lord Lawson, and three grandchildren.
Until his retirement in 2015, he was a civil servant and had worked across the North East
Formerly a member of Birtley Town Council, he was first elected to represent the Birtley ward on Gateshead Council in 1998.
Coun Weatherley was Deputy Mayor of Gateshead from 2013-2014 and Mayor of Gateshead from 2014-2015.
Leader of Gateshead Council Martin Gannon paid tribute to Coun Weatherley describing him as a "stalwart champion of the people of Birtley".
He said: “It was my great pleasure to know Neil for almost 40 years and I was often struck by his obvious devotion to Gateshead and to the people he was elected to represent.
“Neil Weatherley was a stalwart champion of the people of Birtley and a tireless campaigner for them, but he also served the people of Gateshead with distinction, no more so than during his term as Mayor when he represented our borough at almost 300 civic events including Royal visits, major civic ceremonies and national events.”
He added: “Birtley has lost a true friend.”
During his political career he chaired a number of important committees.
He chaired the care, health and well-being overview and scrutiny committee from 2016-17, as well as the communities and place overview and scrutiny committee from 2017, and the community safety sub overview and scrutiny committee from 2017.
He was also vice chair of the audit and standards committee from 2015 to 2016.
During his year as Mayor of Gateshead he attended more than 290 official engagements, including helping to celebrate the Great North Run’s millionth runner at an event on Gateshead and Newcastle Quaysides.
He also welcomed three members of the Royal Family to Gateshead, attended four 100th birthday parties, and presided over a Freeman of the Borough ceremony where Lord David Puttnam, Anthony Sargent and the Royal Northern Sinfonia were bestowed with Gateshead’s highest honour.
Outside of his work and duties with Gateshead Council he also served as a school governor and was a member of the management committees of both the Birtley Community Partnership and Barley Mow Village Hall.
He was interested in and supported a number of organisations including Oxfam, The Red Cross, RSPCA, and UNICEF.
