David Law

He held a number of posts before eventually taking charge at the new Holderness council, which incorporated Hornsea, Withernsea and Hedon, near Hull, following local government reorganisation in 1974.

Mr Law was born in Lytham St Annes, the elder of two sons whose father had a butcher’s shop. He was educated at King Edward Vll School, in Lytham, to which he gained a scholarship.

On leaving school he spent 18 months doing National Service in the Royal Navy, serving at Devonport, in Plymouth.

When he was discharged from the Royal Navy he was sent by the District Audit to work in Derby, where he met a childhood friend from Lytham, Margaret Webster, who had been evacuated to the resort at the outbreak of the Second World War to live with her grandparents.

After being posted to Preston in the mid-1950s, the couple married in 1956.

Two years later Mr Law was transferred to Beverley as assistant district auditor and in 1962 he entered local government as deputy clerk to the then Holderness Rural District Council.

When the chief clerk retired Mr Law was promoted to the role, before being appointed chief executive of the newly-formed Holderness Borough Council, a position he held until his retirement in 1988.

He then did some public finance consultancy for local health authorities and in 1994 went as an EU official observer to monitor the historic elections in South Africa, being based in Bloemfontein in the Orange Free State.

Mr Law was an active member of Beverley Round Table in the 1960s and a founder member of the Rotary Club of Hull Kingston, transferring to Beverley Rotary Club about four years ago.

He was Rotary District Governor for 1999/2000.

Mr Law put his finance and accountancy skills to good use as treasurer for the local branch of Save the Children, the Bible Society, and St Mary’s Parish Church, Beverley.

Having grown up in the 
Baptist Church, Mr and Mrs 
Law became active members of St Mary’s for 50 years, where he ran the Crusaders youth bible classes.

Mr Law was a keen supporter of Blackpool football club, but also enjoyed rugby and cricket.

He enjoyed travel, and was a very keen hill-walker, with the Lake District being a favourite place throughout his life.

He is survived by his wife Margaret, his sons, Christopher and Michael and two grandsons. His brother, Keith who was a civil engineer, predeceased him in 1994.