A joint statement issued by the Mayor of Colchester, Cllr Robert Davidson, and the Leader of the Council, Cllr Paul Dundas...
“It is with great sadness that we confirm the death of Colchester Borough Council member and former Mayor, Cllr Nick Cope.
“Our sympathies go out to Nick’s wife, Liz, who served as his Mayoress, their family and friends at this very difficult time. We are thinking of them and will be providing any support that we can.
“Nick’s warm and thoughtful personality made him a dedicated and respected councillor. He represented New Town and Christ Church Ward since 1994 and had a proud record of standing up for his community and championing environmental causes. He served as Mayor of Colchester in 2019/20.
“His Mayoral year was memorable for lasting nearly 18 months instead of the normal 12 months, due to Covid. Nick was due to finish in May 2020 and at a time when most Mayors would be preparing for the end of their Mayoralty, he was asked to stay on until October 2020 and oversaw the initial civic response to the pandemic.
“The theme of Nick’s mayoralty was Young and Old: Building a Healthy Environment and his charities were: Age Concern; Army Benevolent Fund; Colchester Chinese Society; Colchester Citizen's Advice Bureau; Colchester Food Bank; The Mercury Theatre; MIND, and the Youth Enquiry Service.
“Nick also signed a bond of friendship with Renkum, the Dutch district including the town of Oosterbeek, where soldiers landed and made their final stand during the Battle of Arnhem. Nick and Liz attended a service in Arnhem marking the 75th Anniversary of the battle.
“In July 2019, Nick and Liz hosted a reception for business and tourism leaders celebrating and supporting tourism and heritage within the borough, which was a great success.
“These things and more brought him much respect from his fellow councillors, colleagues, and residents. The borough owes him a huge debt of gratitude for his 28 years of service.”
Cllr Cope sadly died of natural causes on Monday, 7 March 2022.
Page last reviewed: 8 March 2022