TRIBUTES have been paid to former ‘gentleman’ councillor Ian Fitzsimmons from Girvan, who has sadly died.

Provost Iain Campbell began Thursday's meeting of South Ayrshire Council by paying tribute to his former colleague and sending condolences to his family.

Cllr Fitzsimmons was first elected in 1999, winning by a single vote, and his initial stint as councillor lasted until 2012.

He was then re-elected in 2017 and retired ahead of the 2022 election, after representing the Conservative party.

Depute Provost Mary Kilpatrick praised her former colleague’s character and commitment to his ward.

She said: ”I’ve known Iain since he became a councillor and he was the first councillor that I knew who won his seat by one vote.

“He subsequently went on, obviously, to increase his majority. And he was a very conscientious councillor and was very much liked."

She also told a light-hearted story that involved the former councillor’s day job as a painter and decorator.

She added: “Iain, as you know, was also a painter and decorator, and many of his colleagues and councillors actually used his services.

“I, myself, used him to come out and paint a room in my house.

“In those days, the council civic officer used to deliver our papers to our homes. And this week, my council papers came out and [the officer] rang the doorbell, and the bedroom window opened, and Councillor Fitzsimmons put his head out the bedroom window and said yes.

“The officer said, I’m looking for Councillor Kilpatrick. He said, Alright, I’ll make sure she gets the papers.

“And I think [the officer] dined out on that for for weeks. Ian was a very shy person, in a lot of ways, and will be sadly missed.”

Labour’s Ian Cavana also paid testament to the relationship with Cllr Fitzsimmons.

He said: “I said, you know, politics are a horrible thing in life, but you’re an absolute gentleman, Ian, even though you’re a Tory.

“I really mean that when I say it, he was an absolute gentleman. I know when you die, you’re a great person, but, he was one of the nicest that I have met.”

Cllr Fitzsimmons’ former Girvan colleague, Alec Clark, said: “He was a very well-respected member of the Girvan community.

"Not only was he a ward councillor, a painter and decorator, he also had a fruit and veg van many years ago.

“He was a colleague councillor of mine in ward eight, and we worked together quite well. I would just like to say that he is sadly missed, and on behalf of the people of Girvan, we’d like to pay our due respects to him.”

SNP group leader, Julie Dettbarn, said: “I didn’t know Ian for as long as many people in here would have done, but during the time that we were in this place together, I found him to be a very nice man.

“You couldn’t not like him. He was just a gentleman, and he was always very friendly and helpful. And courteous and polite towards me.

“I’m sure he will be sorely missed, and I send my condolences to all who knew him.”

Former Conservative, now independent Councillor Hugh Hunter was elected at the same time as Cllr Fitzsimmons.

He said: “Ian, Mary and I all got elected at the same time. Twenty-five years ago in 1999.

“Ian was just a lovely man.  We spent many times together, walking along the seafront at Girvan.

“He was a conscientious man, involved in the entertainment committee in Girvan for years before he was a councillor.”

Council Leader Martin Dowey added his own tribute, saying: “Councillor Lyons and myself went down to see him two months ago.

“As everybody knows, he was an absolute gentleman.  He always had a coffee ready. He was a stalwart in the community there.

“The last memory I’ve got from two months ago was him talking about Girvan and how much he loved the place.”