More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
A service of thanksgiving and celebration for the life of Cllr Wendy Hinder has been held at All Saints Church in Maidstone this morning.
Cllr Hinder passed away on February 15 last year while serving as Deputy Mayor of Maidstone Borough Council.
She had represented Boxley Ward since 2004.
Cllr Hinder was a Conservative, but the congregation included politicians from all party hues, who admired her not only for her dedication to her residents, but also for her personality as "a kind and lovely lady."
Around 50 family, friends and former colleagues including former Liberal Democrat council leader Fran Wilson were joined by a procession of current councillors, many wearing their civic robes, and led by the mayor, Cllr Fay Gooch.
The service was conducted by the Rev Joyce Addison, and included The Lady In Red as a reflection song, along with the more traditional hymns Morning Has Broken and All Things Bright and Beautiful.
Former Conservative council leaders Chris Garland and Annabel Blackmore were among the speakers who shared their memories of Cllr Hinder, along with her husband Bob, himself a serving councillor.
Cllr Hinder died from Cretzfeldt-Jakob Disease, a condition that causes degeneration of the nerve cells in the brain, which is always fatal.
