TRIBUTES have been paid to Graham Facks-Martin MBE, a stalwart of Cornish local government, who died on Friday.

Mr Facks-Martin, who served as a member of Launceston Town Council until his death, developed an interest in politics in the early 1960s. North Cornwall MP at the time, Conservative James Scott-Hopkins, invited Mr Facks-Martin to work for him, and he would have, but for the former’s defeat at the 1966 General Election.

In 1967 Mr Facks-Martin was co-opted on to Launceston Rural District Council as one of the three representatives from South Petherwin, until the council was abolished due to local government reorganisation in 1974.

He was elected on to the new North Cornwall District Council in June 1974, and became its first chairman of housing. He was the only member who served on the North Cornwall authority for its entire existence, until it merged to form Cornwall Council in 2009.

Mr Facks-Martin served for 42 years as a district councillor — more than 30 years on South Petherwin Parish Council and over ten years on Launceston Town Council. He specialised in housing and planning as a district councillor, involved in social housing for some 50 years, at first council housing and, latterly, housing associations at local, regional and national levels.

He was made an Honoured Burgess of Launceston in May 2012.

Born in 1934 at Bramley, Surrey, Cllr Facks-Martin was a mix of Scottish, English and Russian heritage, and joked that he considered himself a ‘mongrel!’

He was educated at Lanesborough Preparatory School, Kelly College, Seale Hayne Agricultural College and the London School of Economics, attaining numerous qualifications, including an MSc degree (housing) from the London School of Economics in 2001. He was made an MBE in 2006.

His family lived in Guildford, where his father had a garage between the wars. In the 1940s it was converted into a machine shop, making parts for the war effort — the first time in his life his father made any money.

They started milking cows in 1953, which they continued to do for 50 years. Their pedigree Guernsey herd was once the highest yielding in the UK and in the top ten for years. Mr Facks-Martin was involved with the English Guernsey Cattle Society for more than 20 years.

He was involved with Launceston Young Farmers in the 1950s, and after he left college he joined the Young Conservatives and party.

In the 1980s when left-leaning Conservatives were referred to as ‘wets’, Mr Facks-Martin said of his political inclination: “When there were ‘wet’ Tories I was once labelled ‘of positively oceanic wetness.’ I think it was meant as an insult, but I have always enjoyed it.”

He married late in life, in 1975, to Phyl Penfound, his only Cornish connection — her father was Cornish. They were together for over 21 years until she died of cancer in 1997. They did not have any children.

Leading the tributes to Mr Facks-Martin was mayor of Launceston Brian Hogan who said: “It was with great sadness that the mayoress, myself, the town council and indeed the whole of the community heard the news.

“Some words need to come from the head but this is one of the occasions when they need to come from the heart. Graham was a gentleman in the true sense of the word. He worked tirelessly for the benefit of other people. He never had a bad word to say about anyone.

“Graham was a kind generous man who commanded the respect of everyone that knew him. We all send our condolences to his friends and family. It has been an honour to have known Graham and to have been able to call him a friend.”

For the full report, and a round-up of the area news and sport, see this week’s edition of the Post.