Tributes are paid to former council leader

TRIBUTES have flooded in for former Conservative city council leader and long-serving councillor Vivien Pengelly, who has died after a long illness.

-  CARL EVE

Mrs Pengelly was highly regarded by local politicians of every party, and during more than 30 years as a councillor she effectively held every Cabinet post at one point or other, including times as leader of Plymouth City Council and the city's Lord Mayor.

However, she was not only known for her passion for her politics, she was just as admired by those who knew her for her passion for Plymouth Argyle. After her death last Friday, Mrs Pengelly was described as a 'matriarch' among her loving family.

Her son, Jonathan Kennedy, paid a deeply touching tribute, highlighting that, as well as the loss to Argyle and the council, she would also be terribly missed by her loving family. He told The Herald: "My mum, Vivien Pengelly, was a mother to two sons, Jonathan and Ashley, grandmother to five children, mother-in-law to Nicola and younger sister to Judith.

"Mum was born in Plymouth and to the day she died was a proud Plymothian. She was always driven and a natural leader and was elected to be head girl a year younger than most at Public High. Captain of all the sports teams, she represented Plymouth and Devon at hockey and netball and played a one-off national match captaining the netball team against South Africa.

"Sport played a big part of her life throughout, including her career as a councillor. She went to teacher training school in London on a road called White Hart Lane, which was right next to the football stadium in which Tottenham Hotspur played, and tells many a story of watching Spurs play and seeing Jimmy Greaves scoring some great goals.