Mayor Pays Tribute To Sir Gordon Mason

Rodney District Council is today mourning the death of one of its longest serving leaders, former county chairman and the district’s first mayor Sir Gordon Mason.

Gordon Charles Mason was elected to the then Rodney County Council in 1960. He was deputy chairman from 1963 to 1973 and chairman from 1973 to 1989.

In 1989 he was elected as the new Rodney District’s first mayor after local government reorganisation and served in this capacity until his retirement from local politics in 1992.

Rodney’s current mayor says she is personally saddened to learn of Sir Gordon’s death.

Mayor Penny Webster says “I had a lot to do with Sir Gordon both within politics and outside of it. I consider Sir Gordon and his wife Tui to be personal friends and I find this news very hard to take.”

Mrs Webster says Sir Gordon will be remembered for his absolute commitment to Rodney.

“I doubt that anybody will have served this district better and certainly none longer. He had a drive and a passion and a vision that we still benefit from today.

“His loss will be shared not only by Lady Tui and Sir Gordon’s family, but also the Council and by what Sir Gordon rightly thought of as ‘his community’.”

Sir Gordon died this morning after a long illness. He is survived by Lady Tui and three children.

Mayor Webster says council offices will fly the New Zealand flag at half mast on the day of Sir Gordon’s funeral, expected to be this Friday.

ENDS

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