Tributes have been paid to a “committed environmental advocate” who “epitomised civic responsibility” after his death aged 82.
Former borough councillor and Honorary Alderman John Loveless, who was a passionate environmental champion, was fittingly reunited with his late wife at his funeral this week.
Mourners at Lynn Minster were on Tuesday told by Rector Mark Dimond that Pam Loveless had died during a Covid-19 lockdown – preventing her husband from giving her the farewell service he wanted for her. On top of John’s coffin was a wooden casket containing his wife’s ashes reuniting them in death.
Warm tributes were paid to the former long-serving Lib Dem councillor by his brother, the Rev Martin Loveless, who said he had left a legacy of green projects across West Norfolk. These included an area of woodland at Gaywood and daffodil bulbs sown along Lynn’s northern bypass.
John, who would often be seen with carrier bags as he collected discarded bottles and cans, was passionate about green issues and tackled them in a practical way rather than simply talking about them.
He died on January 27 aged 82 at Millbridge Care Home in Heacham.
John, who was first elected to the borough council in 1989, was also a committee member of the King’s Lynn Civic Society and the West Norfolk Conservation Volunteers.
John had been a member of King’s Lynn Civic Society for more than 30 years, spending the last five as vice-president – a position that chair Alison Gifford said he “certainly deserved through his diligent and quiet work supporting the society and the town”.
“He loved nature and over many years contributed to annual bulb planting and his constant daily litter picking made a difference in his local community,” she said.
“John helped out at Harding’s Pits since it was founded 20 years ago and was a founder member of Friends of the Walks.
“He was curious and loved to hear about new ideas so he was often to be seen at local talks and exhibitions.
“His contributions to planning concerns were always well thought out and knowledgable based on information gleaned from his many years as a local counicllor.
“We will all remember John as a thoroughly good man, he loved a pint and the company of his fellow man.
“John always saw what was best in people and situations and will be sadly missed.”
Lib Dem borough and county councillor Rob Colwell paid tribute to him as someone who “epitomised the idea of civic responsibility”.
“He was committed to selflessly doing good in the town where he lived, not just as a local politician but in other small ways as well,” he said.
“Many of the daffodils you see along the roadsides near the hospital and other places in the town were planted by him personally and an area of woodland just near the hospital adjacent to the footpath was replanted with trees on land he personally acquired. And these are just small examples of his many contributions to King’s Lynn over the years.
“The last political campaign he was involved with was delivering for me in Gaywood South 2021 when I was elected. I am so grateful to him for helping me on my political path.”
John was also a regular at Lynn parkrun. Its event director Gary Walker first got to know him in the 1980s when he worked in West Norfolk Council’s legal department.
“He was a well-known character then, always very community minded and thoroughly decent,” he said.
Mr Walker said as he lived close to John at that time and he eventually became the local councillor, he regularly bumped into him on his frequent liter picks along Spring Lane.
He was an excellent ward councillor who worked tirelessly for his community,” he added.
“At that time, the Springwood estate was expanding steadily northwards and not being happy about seeing all the paddocks being built over, he purchased two parcels of land. He then obtained a large donation of trees of all types, which, with the help of friends, were planted in the newly purchased fields – these now having become small words, a legacy John leaves us with.
“He was for a long time also a regular at parkrun where he made everyone smile as, unlike many in the running community, he never bothered what he wore.
“His shorts were usually of the Scout master variety and he would frequently be seen in open-toed sandals. The time it took him to run the course didn’t matter, it was being out with other like-minded souls for a run and he would often stop to pick up a piece of discarded litter as he ran.
“In fact, his commitment to the community and to conservation never wavered and as an original member of Friends of the Walks he could often be seen patrolling The Walks on a litter pick or standing at the entrance to the Red Mount where he was a volunteer.
“He had a car although I never ever saw him in it. He could always be seen peddling around the town with an old hi-vis jacket over his shoulders.”
John became an Honorary Alderman in 2016, when the council stated that it was placing on record its “deep appreciation of the eminent services” rendered by the former councillor.
Following his death, a borough council spokesperson said: “The council was sorry to learn of the death of former councillor and Honorary Alderman John Loveless.
“He was a committed environmental advocate and was closely involved with a number of volunteer groups who planted bulbs and cared for green spaces in King’s Lynn and around.”
An obituary published in the Lynn News said: “A devoted husband to the late Pam and a much-loved dad to David and Danielle, Ian and Andrea and Richard.
“A dear grandpa to Harry, Nikida, Morgan, Brandon, Shannon and Mia. A loving great-grandpa to Tilly and dearly loved brother to Martin and Phillipa, Robert, Ruth and Vaughan and Heather.
“John will be dearly missed by all of his loving family and friends.”
Reporting by Rebekah Chilvers and Richard Parr