Tributes have been paid to beloved former councillor Gerald Dee who has died aged 90.

More than 100 people attended his funeral at St Barnabas Church on Friday and Gloucester City Council fell silent last week to honour the passing of "Mr Tuffley".

Mr Dee served on Gloucestershire County Council between 2009-2013 and on the city council representing Tuffley ward from 2008-2021.

He was also a member of the Police and Crime Panel and Leader at 22nd St Barnabas Scout Group from 1974-1997.

The husband to Paula, father to Tricia and Chris, grandfather to Joanna, Claire, Tom, Livi and Jim and great-grandfather to Eleni and Lila died on August 24 at Magdalen House residential home.

Gloucester City Councillors paid tribute to their former colleague by standing for a minute's silence at North Warehouse on September 19 at the start of their full council meeting.

It was attended by Mrs Dee and Mayor Lorraine Campbell (C, Tuffley) spoke on her behalf to thank those who had offered messages of support and attended the funeral.

Cllr Campbell then led the tributes and said: "Without Paula and Gerald's encouragement, I wouldn't be in this chamber at all. I owe my council and civic journey to them both.

"Right from his teen years, Gerald was volunteering in his community, always stepping up and stepping in for others to improve the situation for all. He definitely earned his title, Mr Tuffley.

"I only really got to know him from 2012 when we began to restore the stage together at St Barnabas Hall and set up the footlights friendship group in 2017.

"Without Gerald, none of these community assets would exist, not even the hall itself, which he saved from demolition on several occasions.

"He was baptised there 90 years ago when it was a temporary church, and he is quite literally embedded into the fabric of the building, having shown me the initials he had carved into the wooden table leg in the kitchen as a mischievous lad.

"Well, Gerald, like that table leg we will all have G.D. engraved on our hearts forever more. Thank you, my friend."

Many councillors from different parties then stood to share their happy memories and fondness for Mr Dee.

Conservative group leader Cllr Stephanie Chambers (C, Quedgeley Fieldcourt) said it was clear he was dedicated to his "community, Paula and his family and children" and that as a councillor "nothing got past him".

Her deputy, Cllr Andy Lewis (C, Quedgeley) said he knew Gerald for 20 years and the former GCHQ worker had an analytical mind and was a gentleman who would never speak out of turn.

He added: "No-one quite knows what he did there but I'm sure he saved this country a lot of bother.

"It was a pleasure working with the gentleman and he will be missed. I know Paula will miss him, but Tuffley will miss him and I think the greater Gloucester area will miss him as well."

Cllr Andrew Gravells (C, Abbeydale) said : "Unlike a lot of us, he was a very quiet man. But I know that when he stood up to speak here at the City Council, or indeed at the county council, he commanded the respect of the entire council, because he spoke infrequently. But when he spoke, boy, did he know his subject."

Liberal Democrat leader Jeremy Hilton (LD, Kingsholm and Wotton) said Mr Dee had served the people of Gloucester and Tuffley well and he was sad to hear of his passing.

"Gerald was a very nice bloke. He wasn't one of those partisan characters like myself. He was non-partisan and would often catch me in the car park afterwards to talk about what we had just been debating in the meeting."

Labour leader Terry Pullen (L, Moreland) expressed condolences on behalf of his group and said Mr Dee was "a gentleman in every sense of the word."

He added: "He was loyal to this chamber, to the council, to the people of Tuffley and much respected by those people he represented."

Community Independent group leader Alastair Chambers (Matson, Robinswood and White City) said what he knew of Gerald was that he was a pleasant man.

"I feel gutted I didn't get to know him as well as everybody here because he sounds like a really nice man. Maybe I would have learnt something from him about being a gentleman."

Councilor Sajid Patel (C, Barton and Tredworth) said: "Gerald was a top man when I first got elected to this council. I used to sit next to him on the other side of the chamber and he was the one that was explaining things to me.

"He was respected by everyone across the chamber, across all parties and the officers.

"He was very intelligent, very calm, tenacious and a very wise man.

"He lived for three things, I think, in this order, family, Tuffley and Gloucester and I think we're all really going to miss Gerald."

A minute's silence was also held For Mr Dee at the Gloucestershire County Council meeting on September 11.

Cllr Andrew Miller (C, Tuffley) said: "Gerald had a stellar career working for the government and I believe rose to the equivalent rank of Colonel.

"On retirement he was very involved in the local community, was a Church Warden at St Barnabas and eventually decided to become involved in politics and stood for county council. "One of the things he did was to notice a small part in a very large regional planning document that referred to using land at Whaddon for housing and he started the Stop Whaddon campaign.

"That issue has united all the Conservative politicians in Tuffley ever since.

"But it's Gerald who needs to be credited for starting that very important campaign."

Outgoing council leader Cllr Mark Hawthorne, who officially stepped down at the meeting, said Mr Dee had a great ability to chair a meeting full of people who were clearly never going to agree on anything and pull them together and get things done.

He added: "Paula took up the mantle and served after Gerald in Tuffley. The great thing about that was their house was always a base for operations.

"Whatever election, you would always end up at Gerald's house at some point. One thing I will always remember, there was a small toilet downstairs and Gerald kept it full of really interesting reading material just in case you needed a bit of a break from canvassing.

"I will remember Gerald greatly, he was a very kind and generous individual, he was someone who was really great to work with, who had a real passion for Tuffley and really understood the issues that were important to Tuffley, and I know he will be greatly missed by all the colleagues who knew and worked with him over the decades."

Punchline-gloucester.com editor Mark Owen said: "I knew Gerald for almost 15 years and he was an extremely nice gentleman who always had time for everyone and was always so polite and generous with his praise. 

"I always enjoyed his company and he will be sorely missed by all those who knew him but also the city he so keenly represented so well."

Those wishing to pay their own tribute to Gerald can make donations to Dementia UK.