A FORMER Mayor of Maidstone has died. Emil "Mark" Marchesi, who was Mayor of the county town in 1976-77, attended 450 functions during his year in office.

Mr Marchesi, who was 92, met Princess Margaret in 1977 when she came to Linton Park for a Dr Barnardo's Silver Jubilee Ball, and Princess Alexandra when she visited Sutton Valence School.

Mr Marchesi and his wife, Marjorie, were married for 62 years. The couple celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary in January 2002. She died in April last year.

The couple met in 1938 at a hospital near Watford where Mr Marchesi was working as an administrator.

He first saw his wife-to-be when she went for an interview as an occupational therapist, having trained as a nurse.

They were married in January 1942 and moved to Maidstone in 1949, where Mr Marchesi took up a job at the old Oakwood Hospital, again in administration.

Mr Marchesi was first elected to Maidstone Borough Council in 1963, as the Liberal member for Allington. He served as a councillor for 17 years, and was a member of Kent County Council for four years. He stood down from the council in 1980.

Mr Marchesi leaves three daughters, Lorna, Paula and Nichola, and nine grandchildren.

Cllr Peter Hooper, the Mayor of Maidstone, said: "He was just a wonderful man. Although he left the council many years ago, he still took part in civic life and turned up to civic events.

"He regarded the mayoralty as something that was so important to him. He really did enjoy being mayor.

"He was somebody who gave so much. He was a lovely, genuine man who was polite to everybody. I never heard him say a bad word about anybody. The man was liked and respected by people of all political parties."