May Sexton obituary: The Yorkshire councillor who ran her family crumpet business
May Sexton, who has died at 101, was a Conservative councillor in Leeds from the late 1950s to the 1980s and later served on the parish council at Flamborough.
Published 4th Apr 2026, 08:00 BST
She was born in Leeds in May 1924, to Gladys and Walter Adams.
In 1943 she married Patrick Sexton, known as Bert, who also became a councillor in Leeds, and together they ran their family crumpet business, an enterprise that endured through four generations.
A beacon of conservative values and a passionate advocate for her community, May served five terms on Leeds Council, working tirelessly to improve housing and environmental health across the city.
After retiring to the east coast she became an active member of the church bell ringers at St Oswald’s in Flamborough.
Bert died in 2013 and May is survived by three children, four grandchildren and her extended family.