A community champion once thought to be the UK's oldest mayor has died aged 99.
Tributes have been paid to Mary Dalton, six times Mayor of Great Aycliffe, who represented her home town at hundreds of events and supported dozens of charities.
Although she didn't enter local politics until she was in her early 80s, she represented Newton Aycliffe with distinction and was believed to be the country's oldest-serving Mayor during her final term of office, aged 95, in 2021.
Mary was born Maria Zeebregtz in the Dutch town of Hilvarenbeek in 1925.
She met her future husband when her town was liberated after the Normandy landings during the Second World War.
Reg Dalton, a tank driver in the Royal Scots Greys Regiment who took part in the D-Day operation, struck up a friendship with the young Mary, who later visited him in England. The pair were married under a special licence in 1948.
They initially settled in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, living with Reg's mother, before moving to Richmond. They had two sons, Jan and Michael.
Reg became an ambulance driver and Mary joined the Civil Defence Service, where she learned to drive.
Later, she got a job delivering flowers and became a dinner lady, before working to transport patients to and from hospital - a job she did for many years, until someone realised she was way past normal retirement age.
Mary and Reg moved to Newton Aycliffe in around 1999 to be nearer to and to care for their son Michael, who was born with spina bifida.
Michael was already a town councillor who went on to be Mayor of Great Aycliffe himself - and he got his mother interested in local politics. Michael moved in with his parents after his own wife died and Mary cared for him until he died in 2017.
A grandmother and great-grandmother, Mary was elected Mayor of Great Aycliffe five times. Her fifth term fell during the Covid pandemic when town council meetings could not be held, so she continued into a sixth term. Aged 95, she was understood to be the country's oldest Mayor.
Charities she supported during her years in office included the Great North Air Ambulance Service and armed forces charity SSAFA, as well as numerous local causes in Newton Aycliffe.
Her son, Jan Dalton, said: "She was extremely proud of things she did. She always said she loved doing it - she loved meeting people and helping local charities in the community."
He added: "I'll always remember my mum as somebody who cared for everybody. She cared about her family and she cared about people - that was the thing that comes across about my mother, she adored people, speaking to them and helping anyone she could.
"She loved her family, she looked after Michael all of her life. Nothing was too much trouble for her."
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A spokesperson from Great Aycliffe Town Council said: "It is with deep sadness that we have received the news that Mary Dalton, former councillor and Mayor of Great Aycliffe Town Council has passed away.
"Mary was a long-standing town councillor and was Mayor of Great Aycliffe Town Council on six occasions. She turned 99 years young on 7th June, she was also reputedly the oldest serving Mayor on her final term of office in 2021.
"Mary will be sadly missed by everyone at the town council and we send our sincere condolences to her family. "
- Anyone who knew Mary Dalton is welcome to attend a service of thankgsgiving at St Clares Church, Newton Aycliffe on Wednesday, July 17 at 11.30am.
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