A career as a councillor beckoned for Ron Alexander at his home town in Swindon where he became the youngest member of the borough council at the age of thirty. Moving to Bourne twenty years later presented new opportunities which he seized and he eventually became mayor.

Ronald Stanley Creasy Alexander was born on 19th December 1920 and after school began working for the Great Western Railway at Swindon in 1937, initially in the accounts department, slowly progressing to payroll manager, and employed at various places including Bristol, York and finally Peterborough where he retired in 1980.

He served with the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and trained as a navigator in Canada, becoming a flight lieutenant with Transport Command engaged on delivering new aircraft to various parts of the world. It was while visiting a YMCA canteen at Montreal that he met Dorothy Pering and in October 1946 they returned to England and were married at Swindon where they set up home and he returned to his job with the railway company which had by then become British Rail.

On being transferred to Peterborough in 1971, they chose to live in Bourne and Mr Alexander was soon investigating the possibility of council work. He had already gained much experience with Swindon Borough Council and as a parish councillor at the villages he lived near Bristol and York, and in 1972 he was elected a member of Bourne Urban District Council. This was one year before local government reorganisation when he joined Bourne Town Council and in 1979 he was elected to South Kesteven District Council.

Many other appointments followed as a trustee with Bourne United Charities, treasurer of the Butterfield Centre, treasurer of Bourne Lions as well as the local Conservative Association and representing SKDC on the South Lincolnshire Health Committee while his year as Mayor of Bourne from 1977-78 was particularly rewarding because he was responsible for the town's celebrations for the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

Mr Alexander resigned from the town council in October 1988 after becoming disillusioned with the changing character of the authority. "I feel that the successful local council depends upon mutual respect and trust, qualities which appear to be in short supply in the present town council", he wrote in his resignation letter. "Perhaps I am just not in touch with the new thinking. I regret it and am rather sad."

He died in Peterborough District Hospital on Tuesday 21st April 1998, aged 77, and after a service at the Abbey Church, he was buried in the town cemetery. He left a widow, Dorothy, a son, Michael, daughter, Julie, and four grandsons. There were many tributes which included more than ten letters of sympathy and 50 cards and Councillor Don Fisher wrote on one of them: "He did far more for Bourne than most people realise and he will be much missed. He was an outstanding councillor and administrator and a good friend who I shall forever remember with great respect and affection."

See also     Dorothy Alexander     Mayors of Bourne