TEIGNMOUTH councillor Roy Phillips, who has died aged 92, had a novel way of fighting an election.

He attempted a comeback into local politics last year, but instead of the usual canvassing and knocking on doors, enjoyed a break with his daughter Caroline at her family home in Majorca!

Laid back Roy spent sunny days poolside or out on a boat, and his message to the voters at home in the by-election was ‘you know me well enough to make up your minds’.

To the surprise of some, he won a town council seat in the central ward, along with daughter Julie, who was also on the family holiday. He became the oldest person in the country to win a by-election.

Glowing tributes have been paid by colleagues and political opponents to his years of campaigning to make Teignmouth a better place for locals and visitors.

Cllr Phillips was a former mayor and Teignbridge member and served 34 years on the council. He was also a prolific letter writer to the Teignmouth Post.

Born in Mountain Ash, Wales, he was the youngest of six children. There was great tragedy in the family when all three of his older brothers were killed in World War Two. He wanted to join up as well, but his mother forbade him after already losing  three sons.

At 16, he started an apprenticeship with BOAC’s experimental division in Pontypridd, before moving with the company to Bristol and then Heathrow. He wanted to be a flight engineer, and learned how to strip and rebuild aero engines.

He emigrated to work for de Havilland Canada in Toronto, and was part of the team involved with the development and production of the iconic DHC-2 Beaver aircraft,  a utility transport plane designed for land and water, used widely by the US Army and supported Sir Edmund Hillary’s expedition to the South Pole in 1958.

Cllr Phillips returned to the UK, firstly to Exmouth, in order to help care for his beloved mother Mabel. Opting for a change of career, he retrained in retail management, bringing the island checkout idea he had seen in the United States to the UK. 

He successfully managed retail stores for British Home Stores and Littlewoods, among others, throughout the UK. He also ran a retail management correspondence school – even writing a book on store management. By this time, he had moved to Torquay, then Paignton where he married and had children Julie, John and Caroline.

 The family moved to Teignmouth at the end of the 1960s as he believed it would be a lovely place to bring up children.   

He opened and ran Fairway Stores in the arcade of shops below the apartments where he lived. Retiring early, he became involved in local politics, fighting  and winning many campaigns, always campaigning for the good of the town, right to the end. 

Cllr Phillips travelled to Spain as often as he could to visit  Caroline and grandchildren Jack and Oliver. He was also an avid gardener, traveller, and interested in history and geography.  He loved his Welsh homeland, rugby and Welsh male voice choirs.

A Lib Dem, he often clashed in the council chamber with leading conservative Cllr Sylvia Russell.

But they respected each other and Cllr Russell  declared: ‘Roy’s approach to being a local councillor was both forthright and frustrating in equal measure.

‘Never one to mince his words, he brushed aside the normal rules of debate and jumped straight in when he saw a problem that needed fixing, or a cause to be pursued.     

‘Roy was at his best when he was championing the need for a new social facility at the Meadow Centre, specifically to provide company and a hot lunch for the elderly residents of West Teignmouth.    

‘He relished having a spat with colleagues on the council, and I recall one furious exchange with the late Cllr Geoff Bladon which almost ended up with fisticuffs in the chamber!   

‘I have been at the receiving end of many an ascerbic barb from Roy, which always ended with a chuckle when he felt he had scored a point.  

‘He was the only councillor I know who was able to win elections by sitting in his armchair, writing letters to the press and being away on holiday on polling day! That’s real style! We will miss you Roy.’    

Former mayor Cllr Terry Falcao reckoned his election victory was a remarkable feat for a man of his age. 

‘His mind remained razor sharp and he was a formidable presence until the end. I was proud to have served alongside him as a fellow Lib Dem. 

‘For those who did not know him, he was a tough, honest and independent minded individual, who in keeping with Lib Dem values, advocated for the town and, in particular the poor, vulnerable, and those in need. 

‘He was also a staunch supporter of the arts and TAAG and for facilities for our young people.

‘Although proudly Welsh, he was fiercely loyal to Teignmouth’s cause, thought nothing of roughing up the  tories on the council, and was frequently outspoken on issues he believed in. 

‘His tirades against Teignbridge District Council and Devon County Council cuts were littered with “damns” and “blasts” and caused much tutting and rolling of eyes on the part of some. 

‘He brought historical context to many debates and importantly did not, as some of the old guard, remain rooted in the past. He held quite forward-thinking views and had learned lessons from the past. He supported me greatly during my mayoral year and I found him to be a warm, highly perceptive and thoroughly decent individual.’

The mayor, Cllr Paul Burgess, who led a minute’s silence for Cllr Phillips at a Tuesday council meeting, declared: ‘Our meetings, and Teignmouth, will never be the same.

 ‘He was well respected and absolutely loved this town. He will be sorely missed in the council chamber – an absolute loss.

‘If he is looking down on us at meetings, I am sure he will shouting “get on with it and do things for Teignmouth”!’

Fellow Lib Dem councillor Alison Eden said his election last year was a return to a very familiar role.  

‘Over the past year he used his passion for looking after people, his wit, his sharp intellect, and not to mention his vast knowledge, to question and expose national policies and local decisions,

‘I was lucky to be able to call him a colleague and will miss his tenacious and know-ledgeable pursuit of what is right, not to mention his vehement and articulate attacks on what is wrong.’

Cllr Phillips died peacefully in his sleep at home. His funeral service will be at St James’ Church, Teignmouth, on Thursday, November 2 at 1.30pm.