Councillors have paid tribute to a fellow councillor who died after years of battling pancreatic cancer.

The flag at the Abingdon Town Council building is flying at half-mast after councillor Ulrike Rowbottom, who was elected as councillor for Dunmore Ward in 2019, died at Sobell House Hospice in Oxford.

Ms Rowbottom had been suffering from pancreatic cancer for several years and continued to work on the council until her death on Sunday morning (April 2).

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Mayor of Abingdon Andy Foulsham said: “Councillor Rowbottom and I were elected in 2019, we joined the council on the same day.

"I knew her well because we shared our work locally, being that she was a councillor in the same ward as me.

“She always wanted to try and make something positive out of everything.

“She will be tremendously missed by the whole council and the community in Abingdon.

“It’s been an honour to serve with her. She was one of those people who was always worth listening to, when she did have a point to make it was phenomenally well thought through.

“We were lucky to have her for the short time that we did.”

Councillor Gabriella Barody added: “Ulrike was a breath of fresh air when she joined the town council with a no-nonsense, let’s get things done approach.

“She was very supportive of others and very much a team person with a great sense of humour, always looking to make a difference.

“I will miss her both professionally and personally. She will remain an inspiration to us all.”

 

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This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.

Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Matthew.norman@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1