The wife of a long-serving Medway councillor who died suddenly has remembered his humour and love of family.

Cllr David Carr was taken to Medway Maritime Hospital after suffering a stroke but passed away on Saturday morning.

His wife of 59 years, Kirstine Carr has paid tribute to him.

She said: “He was real a family man it was very important to him, we were all very close, he was my best friend

“He was funny, he had a great sense of humour and was always ready for a joke.”

“Sailing was his biggest bet, he had a yacht until two years ago and then he got really busy so he had to get rid of it.

“He sailed for a long, long time, he loved anything to do with the water.”

Tributes have flooded in from close friends and councillors alike, including Barry Kemp, who represents Rainham Central, and fellow Rainham North Ward councillor Martin Potter.

Cllr Carr represented Rainham North ward for 12 years.

He was on many committees and even served as mayor from 2008 - 2009.

Mrs Carr said: “He had a surgery on the first Saturday of every month, where people would come and talk to him about their problems.

“He was a good listener but also a doer.

“There were so many little things he did, he gave a lot of time but he enjoyed every minute. David and Martin Potter used to stand at a stall on the High Street.

“David used to say, he was surprised at all the people who came up to us and said they knew me and I had never met them before, I guess he was very tall and quite a character, in the nicest way possible, so people did recognise him.”

She chuckled as she said: “Him and Martin were really great friends, when they went out together it was like little and large, in personality and in stature.”

Mrs Carr added: “I’ve been touched by the huge number of messages I’ve from people from the community.

“Lots of people have been ringing me, even people I don’t know, people are so kind. I would like to thank the staff at the hospital in resuscitation.

“When he went to the stroke unit, they were so kind and caring, they helped with the terrible experience.

“I know the council has been fighting to keep the stroke unit at Medway hospital.

“I wish there was something we could do to keep it here.”