Jim Burgess. Photo supplied.24.4.1937 – 27.11.2020

Jim Burgess may have been a man who held a high public profile, but at heart he was very much a family man, at his happiest on home turf.

Ashburton was the place of his heart, from birth to death.

He was the youngest of Ernie and Bernadine Burgess’ four children, with his two older brothers Brian and Peter and his older sister Diana all predeceasing him.

Jim attended Ashburton East School (now Hampstead) and Ashburton Technical College, leaving at the age of 15 to earn his first pay packet at Burnetts Motors and wrapping up his long working life managing hotels and bars around the Ashburton District for the Ashburton Trust.

For about 15 years in between those two jobs he worked with his parents in their Moore Street grocery store.

In many ways he was destined to build a long career in the hospitality industry.

Those seeds were sown early in his working years when he started out moonlighting as a barman in the Somerset Hotel, dreaming that this might provide the stepping stone on which he could build a career in hotel management.

When the Hotel Ashburton opened in the 1970s Jim was on the payroll as bar manager and then moved up to become second in charge of the hotel.

He took a break from frontline hotel work and for a few years left the hospitality industry to take on the Creek Road Dairy, but the pull of hospitality was too strong and he returned to the Hotel Ashburton and later taking over as manager of the Hinds Tavern in 1979, moving to become mine host at the Devon Tavern the following year.

His rise through the Ashburton Trust’s ranks continued and he became the organisation’s operations manager in 1983.

In 1994 he took up the lease of the Hinds Tavern. This was the first time in the trust’s 44 year history it had leased one of its businesses, rather than appoint a manager.

Over Jim’s many years with the trust he managed virtually every hotel or tavern on its books.

His retirement, when it came, was to be brief, with Jim deciding he wanted to make a contribution to his community. He decided to stand for the urban ward of the Ashburton District Council at the 2004 election.

He won and that set him on a new path, one that would see him successful at each triennial election until his retirement in 2013.

Over those years he served on virtually every council committee and in his final term became a member of the Ashburton District Licensing Committee before deciding in 2013 it was finally time to retire.

During his years on the council Jim was a strong advocate and voice for older people and people on fixed incomes and their welfare guided many of his decisions as a councillor.

In his private life Jim was a keen rugby player and loved music. It wasn’t until his retirement, however, he had the time to become involved in community organisations.

He then joined Grey Power, becoming its president and joined the Savage Club where he could use his fine voice to sing at Senior Citizens’ meetings.

Jim was married to Edna for 62 years and together they raised four children. They now have 11 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

His family describe him as a very humble man who was a true believer in service to others. His greatest joys in life were his family and later his grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Jim is survived by his wife Edna, his children Tony, Philip, Barbara and Brian and his 11 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

By Sue Newman - © The Ashburton Guardian - 8 January 2021