FORMER councillor and chairman of East Dorset District Council Ray Dudman has died aged 83.

Ray was first elected to serve on the district council in 1999 and he went on to represent residents in St Leonards for 16 years.

During this period he also served on the parish council and had the honour of serving as the district council’s chairman in 2008/09.

Ray was born in South Kensington and raised in Wandsworth.

He met his future wife Sheila at a dance at the Castle in Richmond in 1957 and they went on to marry in 1960.

Ray spent 25 years of his working life with Nestle in Hayes, working as a maintenance electrician.

Following an early retirement Ray and his wife moved to East Dorset in 1996.

Within a year of living in the county Ray’s interest in council life was sparked through a chance meeting with councillor Ann Warman, who he would go on to serve alongside as a council representative.

Ann first meet Ray while canvassing his neighbourhood and after he expressed an interest in representing the community to her, he began his journey to becoming a councillor. After putting his name forward for selection, Ray was elected as a member of East Dorset District Council in 1999 for the west ward of St Leonards.

Ann recalled Ray’s first experience of canvassing residents. To her surprise he arrived in shorts and a sweatshirt, which was not quite the traditional suit and tie councillors were expected to wear.

“I became more and more aware of the loving, kind-hearted man he was,” Ann said.

“He saw nothing but good in everyone he met. He did so much for people and was always on call at all hours.

“He was there to represent the people and that was what he did for the entire time he was a councillor.”

After nine years as a district councillor, Ray was given the honour of serving as chairman of the authority in 2008. Ann said Ray was a “wonderful” chairman, who always put other people first.

Ann added: “A very big hole has been left in the parish now that he is no longer with us.”

Alongside dedicating his time to serving as a councillor, Ray helped his wife to run two day centres in East Dorset over a seven-year period.

Sheila and Ray had five children together. They also have four grandchildren and a number of great grandchildren.

Ray stepped down from the council in 2015 after four terms.

In the latter years of his life Ray battled with Alzheimer’s disease.

Ray Charles Dudman passed away on Saturday, May 5.

His funeral takes place at 12pm on Friday, June 1, at Bournemouth Crematorium. No flowers, but, if desired, donations in Ray’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Society may be sent to Barrow Bros. & Tapper Funeral Service, 29a Southampton Road, Ringwood, BH24 1HB.