David Fagan

He had only been on Selby District Council for four years as Conservative representative for West ward, but was so well thought of for two of those years he had been chairman of the authority’s economy board.

Mr Fagan was born in Rhyl, North Wales, the son of a Hull optician, although he was brought up in Bridlington where his family lived.

He was educated in Leicestershire at Grace Dieu Preparatory School and Ratcliffe College before working briefly as an articled clerk with Hull solicitors Rollitt, Farrell and Bladon. He then joined Rowntrees of York in 1966 where he worked in sales administration until he retired in 2000.

Before moving to Selby, he lived in Bolton Percy, near Tadcaster where, having always been interested in politics, he became involved with the Conservative Party in the Barkston Ash constituency which later became Selby under Boundary Commission changes.

When he moved to Selby he threw himself into work with the party becoming at various times treasurer, chairman and president of the constituency. After he retired he was area and then regional chairman of the party in North East Yorkshire, and involved in the Yorkshire and Humber Region European constituency.

In 1995 he was awarded the MBE for his work.

In 2007 he took on a new challenge when he was elected to Selby Council, representing the authority on Selby Citizens’ Advice Bureau and Selby Area Learning Partnership.

Mr Fagan, a committed Roman Catholic, was for many years a member, then chairman, of the board of governors of Holy Family Catholic High School in Carlton, near Selby.

In retirement he and his wife Mary, whom he met in York at the church they both attended, also spent a lot of time travelling.

Mr Fagan was a keen racegoer, being a member at both York and Wetherby and had only recently returned from the racing at the Curragh in Ireland last September when he suffered a severe stroke.

He is survived by his wife Mary.