Willingham Parish Council were very saddened to hear of the recent passing of Phil King. Phil had been a central part of the Parish Council for many years. The Chairman, Derek Law, has prepared some words in memory of Phil who will be missed by all of those involved with the Parish Council.
“Phil King served on Willingham Parish Council for over 23 years. During that time, he was Chair 3 times and Vice Chair many times, as well as being Chair of Planning and lead councillor for many projects. After taking early retirement in 2003, he had many volunteering roles in Willingham including work for the church and in WAMADS where he starred as the dame in their last panto.
I would not be writing this as the current Council Chair if I had not had the privilege of knowing and working on the council with Phil King. I first joined the council at the invitation of Bill Kirkman but it was Phil who guided me to take over from him as chair of the Planning Committee, then later as Vice Chair and finally Chair, with Phil’s assistance as Vice until he retired on health grounds last year.
Phil was a principled man who could stand his ground in any debate but always fairly; and he would happily listen to other sides once he had put his point across. He had a tremendous sense of humour, which was sometimes self-deprecating despite his wide knowledge and experience.
He was steadfast in standing up for the village against authority, as many County and District Councillors who suffered his occasionally quite literal table-banging arguments could attest.
Some years ago, when the streetlights in Willingham were being replaced, one specific street kept being overlooked. The manager in charge, when summoned to a council meeting to explain the delay, said it was because the incoming cable was Imperial and the new fixture was Metric so they could not be connected. Ray Manning recalls that Phil, who had worked in the industry, told him that not only could they be connected, but that he could provide the part numbers for the required components.
We did not always agree on what would be the best solutions for council problems, but I always enjoyed having my opinions tested against Phil’s and the lively interaction which ensued. Parish Council meetings have been quieter since he retired in July. He has been missed by those who worked alongside him, and will now be missed by all who knew him.”