Last night it was announced that Delta Councillor George Hawksworth died suddenly while cycling at the age of 70. He is survived by his wife Noreen, and four children, Dan, Andrew, Paul and Jeanine.An announcement was made to a stunned crowd that had gathered at South Delta Secondary School to protest the proposed rezoning of the Spetifore farmlands. The same hot button topic that he stood behind when he and his collegues running under the IDEA banner used to rout the Doug Husband led city council in 1990.
Flags at Delta's municipal facilities and schools were lowered to half mast in honor of Hawksworths memory. Mayor Lois Jackson issued a statement on the city's webpage.
"Councillor Hawksworth was an accomplished and valued member of our community, dedicating much of his life to making Delta a better place. During his time on Council, Councillor Hawksworth served on numerous Committees and acted as a liaison to many community groups. Councillor Hawksworth's commitment to the community and people of Delta was unwavering and he will truly be missed. He was an inspiration and great role model to all."
Hawksworth's sudden death leaves Delta's city council with a vacancy. A municipal by-election will be called to fill his seat. Funeral arrangements are to be announced.
I knew George in the early days when we both lived at Tranquille, near Kamloops B.C. He and I were about 9 years old at the time and we were best friends. We went to elementary school together, Wolf Cubs together, Boy Scouts together and played cowboys together. We even had a small group we called the Boys Own Club Army that we formed. Of course we threw dirt balls at each other too. I was shocked to here of his sudden passing and I will always remember him.
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