Tributes to first Brentwood mayor flood in

She died peacefully on Friday at St Bartholomew's Hospital. She was 55 and leaves a husband, David, three daughters and a baby granddaughter.

Doctors broke the news that she had ovarian cancer within months of her second unsuccessful bid to be elected to Parliament last year.

In typical style, Liz threw herself into an all-out fight for survival and refused to allow it to interrupt the civic work for which she was famed.

She displayed tremendous courage. Days prior to her death she played an active role at a special party in Ingatestone, celebrating the visit of five French pensioners to Ingleton House sheltered accommodation.

Warden Maureen Montgomery found Liz clearing away plates to take into the kitchen and joining in the dancing.

Liz was elected Mayor in 1993. A Brentwood borough councillor for 16 years, before that she was a parish councillor at her beloved Ingatestone, where she had lived for more than 30 years.

She concentrated years of energy and enthusiasm fighting environmental issues, promoting education and, as a fluent French and German speaker, was at the forefront of Brentwood's town twinning programme.

For all of her civic life Liz was a gallant fighter for the retention of Brentwood's dwindling Health services.

As a member of the Community Health Council she dealt with problems often around the clock with sympathy and sound common sense laced with wonderful dollops of Bottomley humour - for which she was famed.

She met and married her husband David after graduating in zoology at the University of London. They arrived at Ingatestone and raised their family while Liz taught, first at Ilford then at the Anglo-European School and finally at Brentwood County High School.

She was first elected as a Liberal Democrat onto Brentwood Urban District Council in 1983.

An intrepid traveller, Liz was always the first person anyone thought of asking to a dinner party because her animated stories of trips into some of the world's most outlandish places enthralled even the most solid couch potato. A staunch European, she knew the EU well and had a special love of France.

Brentwood and Ongar MP Eric Pickles was among the first to pay tribute to Liz Bottomley.

Recalling her last two General Election Liberal Democrat campaigns, for the Brentwood and Ongar seat, he said: ''I came to know Liz and appreciate her qualities. I am greatly saddened.

"Liz believed passionately in what she did, working hard for Brentwood as a local councillor, making a considerable contribution to the town."

Brentwood Borough Council chief executive, Colin Sivell, described her as a ''determined campaigner'' and said there was no one quite like her.

"Liz fought a courageous battle against cancer and although we knew she was seriously ill, her death was a great shock to us all,'' he said.

''She was a dedicated councillor and won the whole hearted admiration of the entire council by her attitude to her illness.''

He added: ''She continued to serve her residents, attending a meeting as recently as the week in which she died.

"Many will remember the strong opposition raised by Liz and fellow councillors to the proposal to close Brook House, and the recent health campaign to reopen the A and E department at Harold Wood Hospital.

''Liz was also a co-founder of the very successful Chips summer holiday play scheme in Ingatestone. There was no one quite like her and we will be the poorer for her passing. All our thoughts are with her family."

Cllr David Kendall, fellow Liberal Democrat and deputy leader of Brentwood Council, said: "I knew Liz as a colleague and a friend for many years and she never ceased to amaze me with all the drive and energy she put into everything she did.

''This, coupled with her humour and sense of fun, always made her a great person to work with.

"Her tireless work on behalf of the Liberal Democrats in Brentwood and Ongar and around the country is worthy of great recognition and she was without doubt one of the main reasons the party took control of Brentwood Council in 1991 and has been there ever since.''

Cllr Kendall said he was proud to have been her General Election agent in 1997. ''It was not an easy task but I greatly admired her tenacity and willingness to take the fight to her political opponents even when all the odds seemed stacked against her.

"She will be fondly remembered in the wider community for her role as Mayor and as an excellent ambassador for our town.

"She was never afraid to speak out on behalf of others and that is one of the reasons she gained so much respect from her friends and her political opponents.

"Shortly before she died, Liz attended a meeting of the Pensioners Forum after undergoing more hospital treatment.

''That decision to attend probably summed her up completely, as someone who even when suffering herself cared deeply about others, loved Brentwood and it's people and remained a fighter to the end for the just and decent society she was always striving to achieve."

Cllr Valerie Fletcher, leader of the council's Conservative group, said: "Liz was so brave right until the end, determined that she was not going to die without a fight. Liz was renowned for her tenacity.

"Liz and I had a strange relationship - political adversaries for many years but always maintaining a healthy respect for each other's views. She often said that if we had been in the same party we would have made a formidable team.

''She was a tower of strength when I really needed help during a particularly difficult period in my life. Liz was a great support to my children and I, a friend when I really needed one. I shall remember her with enormous respect and affection."

Richard Enever, chairman of Ingatestone Rail Users Association which she helped to set up, said: "She always backed our campaigns for improvements to the rail service for Ingatestone and her death came as a great shock. She will be sorely missed."

Michael Trett, headmaster of Brentwood County High School where she taught for the last nine years said: "It is with great affection and admiration that we remember her.

"Mrs Bottomley was popular with the pupils and they showed immense respect for her.

''She always made time for them and she wanted them to gain as much as possible from her lessons. She loved teaching.

"As a school we celebrated with her when she was elected Mayor. When civic duties placed great demands on her she carefully planned and organised her diary so that her pupils were almost unaffected. She was thoroughly professional.

"We all respected her for her commitment and determination, which became so evident as she fought against cancer. We have lost a devoted and loyal colleague. The whole school mourns the loss."

Marc Young, the Labour party candidate for Brentwood and Ongar at the last General Election, said: "Liz Bottomley stood for everything that was good about Brentwood. She was an outstanding councillor with a first class record of public service. My sympathies go out to her family."

DEVOTED TO DUTY: Liz Bottomley, pictured above in her Mayoral robes.

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