Tributes paid to former councillor Kathy Tracey

For many years she was in charge of the council’s leisure and amenities portfolio - managing services including refuse collection and recycling.

Ms Tracey was responsible for the upkeep of leisure centres and sports facilities, playgrounds, parks and open spaces.

In later years her passion for education and young people saw her serve as cabinet member for schools and children’s services.

Under her leadership a number of new schools were opened in the borough, including Bolingbroke Academy and Putney Oasis.

Presenting prizes to the winner of a young writer's competition

Before joining the council she was directly elected as a representative from Wandsworth on the Inner London Education Authority which managed all schools in this part of London until its abolition in 1990.

She became a governor at Roehampton Church of England primary school when her children were at the school – and served on that body right to the end becoming perhaps the longest serving school governor in Wandsworth.

She was first elected as a Springfield ward councillor in 1989 in a historic by-election and latterly in the newly created Wandsworth Common ward until her retirement in 2018.

In 2015 she was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours for services to local government. 

SEE MORE: New Year's Honours for two Wandsworth councillors who make borough "better place"

Paying tribute to her years of service, council leader Ravi Govindia said; “Kathy Tracey was a true community stalwart who served the people of Wandsworth with great distinction for almost three decades.

“Sadly it was only in March last year that her beloved husband Dick passed away and she bore that loss and her brief illness with remarkable dignity and stoicism. We shall miss her deeply and my heartfelt condolences go out to her children and grandchildren upon whom she doted.”