A former Leamington town councillor has passed away.
William "Bill" Derbyshire died on Saturday at Royal Oak Long Term Care Centre at the age of 87.
He was a member of council from 1982 to 2010.
Leamington Mayor Hilda MacDonald sat on council with Derbyshire for a number of those years and says he always had the town's best interests in mind.
"Bill was a great Leamington promoter. He was our walking, talking billboard handing out tomatoes and bringing produce to people," she says. "I still give him credit for being one of the ones that brought TSC into our community. He was just a great guy."
MacDonald says Derbyshire also wasn't afraid to speak his mind.
"He called a spade a spade and there were a few times he and I butted heads, but it always ended up with good feelings and openness between us," she says. "He loved this community and it showed. He leaves a void in our community."
MacDonald calls Derbyshire "one of a kind."
"He was known for being the Halloween hotdog guy. Hundreds of kids would stop at his home. He and his wife would cook hotdog's outside and hand them out to the kids. It was something that will be remembered for a long time in our community. He had great spirit," she adds.
According to his obituary, Derbyshire was a life long farmer growing tomatoes for H.J. Heinz, where he also worked for for 33-years.
A private family funeral service was held for Derbyshire, while a celebration of life will be scheduled for a later date.
- with files from AM800's Zander Broeckel