Tributes have been paid to a former mayor of Brighton and Hove, Ann Norman, who has died at the age of 83.
She was elected mayor in 2009 for a year and was a long-serving councillor for Withdean on Brighton and Hove City Council, alongside her husband Ken Norman.
The couple stood down at the last local elections in May 2019.
The Brighton and Hove Conservative group of councillors said that it was “sad to announce the passing of long-standing former councillor and mayor of the city, Ann Norman.
“Ann represented her community of Westdene as a councillor for 23 years from 1996 to 2019, first on the Brighton Borough Council and then later on Brighton and Hove City Council.
“First elected in 1996 as a councillor for the Westdene ward on the borough council, Ann was re-elected in 1999.”
After Brighton and Hove merged, she continued to represent the residents of Westdene as a councillor for the new Withdean ward.
She was elected a further four times in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015 until her retirement in 2019.
The Conservatives said: “She had followed in the footsteps of her mother Gladys Morrison who was a councillor in Westdene in the late 1960s.
“And for much as her time as a councillor, Ann served alongside her husband Ken Norman, who was councillor in the same ward between 2002 and 2019.
“At the Town Hall, Ann took a particular interest adult social care and finance and was spokesperson for the Conservative group in these two areas at different times.
“Ann was an important part of the Conservative Administration in the city from 2007 to 2011 when she was cabinet member for adult social care.
“She was elected Mayor of Brighton and Hove for 2009-10.
“In addition to her role as a councillor, Ann was a stalwart for the Conservative Party, having been chair of the Brighton Pavilion Conservative Association on two separate occasions.
“As a local ward councillor, Ann was passionate about keeping the area clean, tidy and presentable and had a passion for looking after local parks.
“Ann had a long career at Sussex University from 1966 to 1991 in the School of Mathematics and Physics, where she worked in the teaching laboratory area, setting up experiments and also taking lecture theatre teaching. It was here where she met her husband Ken.
“Ann was a passionate gardener and with her husband Ken achieved six gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show at the Bonsai category.
“She helped started the Sussex Bonsai Group and organise an International Bonsai Convention at Sussex University. She also had a passion for Tibetan terriers.”
Mr Norman, 78, paid tribute to his wife and said that she would be very much missed, adding: “Ann will be sorely missed for her whole attitude to life and her residents. She loved this area so much having moved into Westdene in the 1960s and never looked back.
“She was a real example of a councillor and a resident in the city. She was always polite and tried to help anybody do anything. She was so kind to everybody – she never turned anybody away.
“I’ve been touched by calls from many former colleagues and councillors who have said she was hard working and conscientious councillor.”
Conservative group leader Steve Bell paid tribute to Mrs Norman and her long contribution to the Conservative group and the city.
He said: “Ann was a long-standing member of the Conservative group and contributed so much over the years.
“The Conservative group are so sad at her passing and are supporting Ken at this difficult time.
“She was always passionate about Westdene and her residents and always made sure their voices were heard and made a lasting impression on the city.”
Juliet Smith, chair of trustees at Martlets, said: “We are very sad to learn of the death of Ann Norman, who was a trustee of Martlets for nine years, retiring from our board in 2019.
“Ann was a committed trustee and worked collaboratively to ensure good governance of our charity.
“Her insight, connections and desire to improve the city were of great benefit in helping Martlets achieve our mission of providing life-changing hospice care to the community of Brighton and Hove.
“Ann will be greatly missed by the colleagues who worked closely with her during her time on our board of trustees.
“On behalf of Martlets, I extend our gratitude for such devoted commitment: our prayers and thoughts are very much with her family and friends.”
The Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, Caroline Lucas, said that she was saddened to hear that Mrs Norman had died, describing her as popular and dedicated.
She added that Brighton and Hove Greens would want to pay tribute to her many years of service.
A true Brightonian who really cared about her constituents. Condolences to Ken and family.
I last saw Ann three months ago (it feels more recent than that), when I cycled from Hove one sunny afternoon to their hillside home in Withdean (and their cheery dog). She was tired after a morning’s excursion and so was lying on their bed. I talked with Ken for a couple of hours, and he showed me their garden’s array of bonsai trees. And much reminisence about our time on the ever-hairy Gorham’s Gift (set up in 1934 to protect Telscombe village: it is like appearing in The Archers).
I was about to leave, and sad to have missed Ann, but then she got up, sat on the sofa, recognised me (I think), and I stayed longer. She was in poor health, but I found that Ken and I could steer the talk in certain directions and she grasped what was going on. I mentioned the fruitful success of my olive tree here in Hove, and hopes that I might be able to grow more of them from the stones. With her horticultural experience, she was able to assure me that this is perfectly possible.
She was always that heartening spirit. She and Ken were pragmatic amidst the jousting of the political arena, it was never their intention to wound.
Her health worsened the past month or so but I had hoped to see her again. We never know what is around the next turn in the road (a hilly one, in Withdean).
Naturally, I have a particular memory of her. This was at the Friends’ Meeting House to which the Policy and Resources committee had decamped for a 2016 meeting to decide the fate of Hove’s Carnegie Library. Ann made the effective point that so many people had taken the time to telephone her about it – “and nobody usually rings up councillors any more”.
Local government can be a thankless task but Ann and Ken were always genial. Ken chuckled when I told him that cllr Littman had remarked that, after the Normans retired, they would be followed in withdean by the Plantagenets.
Ken looked after her wonderfully well.
When making a point during council cttee meetings, Ann always spoke from a very carefully considered place with quiet sincerity. She had the gimlet eye of a practised politico behind a gentle manner. We all must go but her passing is sad all the same. Ken will be missing her so much and my thoughts are of his loss.
Ann Norman was a true public servant. Honest and diligent in her many roles as a city councillor, she served the Withdean community and the wider city very well.
Her politics were different from mine, but we had many points of agreement. She will be remembered as an outstanding Mayor.. Indeed, she was offered by council officers as a benchmark of excellence for those Mayors who succeeded her. We all found her a very hard act to follow.