Epping Forest MP Dame Eleanor Laing has paid tribute to long-serving Epping Forest district councillor Brian Rolfe remembering him as "a dedicated servant of our local community" and "a very well-respected and good-humoured gentleman".
Mr Rolfe, who died on Saturday, represented the Lambourne ward on Epping Forest District Council for 16 years.
Mr Rolfe was a former district council chairman who started his political career when he was elected to Epping Town Council in 2003. He became Town Mayor two years later.
He became the district councillor for Lambourne in 2006 and had remained so ever since.
Mr Rolfe had served as the leisure cabinet portfolio holder on the district council and had held some of the most senior district council positions.
Dame Eleanor said: "Brian Rolfe was not only a dedicated servant of our local community he was also a very well-respected and good-humoured gentleman. Always ready with a smile and an encouraging word, he will be greatly missed by his many friends.
"I will never forget his advice and support when I was a new MP, and how patient and kind he was to my young son.
"He did so much for our district and we will always remember him with affection and gratitude."
