Town says sad goodbye to Mayor (From Penarth Times)

Town says sad goodbye to Mayor

THE town said a fond farewell to a former mayor this week at the funeral of Allan Jonathan Wicks.

Although born in Pontypridd, Mr Wicks loved Penarth.

In 1981, a band of close friends and Allan planned his political campaign in the old hut (now a block of flats) behind the Conservative Club.

He was elected and served both Penarth Town Council and the Vale of Glamorgan Council, retiring in the summer of 2004 after 23 years service.

Many remember him for his personal touch - it was always local people and colleagues rather than policies that mattered to him.

Allan loved the town twinning links Penarth enjoyed with Saint Pol De Leon. As Mayor of Penarth in 1988 he attended a record number of functions.

Cllr Wicks sat on many committees as Chairman and Vice Chairman, and became Vice Chairman of the Vale of Glamorgan Council. Even after his retirement he continued with a select few, as committee chairman of Mental Health at Whitchurch Hospital and as governor at St Cyres School Penarth.

His alliance with Penarth grew as he immersed himself in social and economic clubs and associations, such as the Rotary Club, and The Royal British Legion.

He regularly attended church, singing his heart out at All Saints Church. He was proud to assist the British Legion Poppy Appeal and many other charities.

He met his former wife, Jennifer, during his long and much-enjoyed career at British Gas and they had two sons, Jonathan and David.

Jonathan Wicks paid this tribute to his father: "My dad would never turn down a request for help. He gave his all to everything he was committed to."

The funeral was held in All Saints Church on Monday.