Tributes have been paid to West Lothian’s Depute Provost Dave King who died on Tuesday morning.
The Councillor for East Livingston and East Calder had given nearly nearly 30 years of “tireless and devoted work" to his community.
The 79-year-old community champion had been a councillor since 1992, previously representing the East Calder ward on West Lothian’s District Council. He was one of the longest serving councillors in West Lothian.
He was elected Depute Provost in 2012. He was also Executive Councillor for Culture and Leisure.
Council Leader Lawrence Fitzpatrick said: “Dave worked tirelessly for his community and was, without a doubt, one of the hardest working elected members you could ever meet.
“He was a very popular and well-known figure within the town. Many a time he’d walk down East Calder Main Street and there were always people stopping him to ask for advice and assistance. People knew that, if they spoke to Dave, he’d do all that he could to help. He was devoted to helping the people that he was elected to serve.
“Dave set an incredibly high standard in terms of his work ethic, his steadfast commitment to improve his local community, his loyalty and his generosity.
“He was a caring and kind-hearted man and I was proud to be his friend for many years.”
Writing on her social media page, depute-council leader Kirsteen Sullivan said: “We are devastated by the loss of our much loved and respected colleague, Dave King. You could not get a more passionate defender of the communities he served.
“For me, Dave will always be someone who had a kind word and many a joke, and the first to put his hand in his pocket every Christmas when I came for donations to buy food for a local charity.”
Provost Tom Kerr also paid tribute. He said: “I’m so very sad to hear of Councillor King’s passing. I considered Dave a good friend and we worked closely in the Civic office. He was very proud to be Depute Provost of West Lothian and I know how much that role meant to him.
“We were both elected to the council in 1992 and we’ve known each other well since then. His work ethic and commitment to the people within his community were legendary.
“I know how highly respected Dave was within the council and within his local community. His legacy will live on within East Calder and I’d like to offer my sincere condolences to his family and close friends at this sad time.”
