Death of Highland Councillor Jimmy MacDonald

31st January 2009

Long serving Highland Councillor for Inverness, Jimmy MacDonald, has died after a long illness at the age of 60.

A native Gaelic speaker from Baleshare in North Uist, Councillor MacDonald joined local government in 1986 when he was elected to the former Highland Regional Council.

He was elected vice-chairman of Social Work between 1990-94 and chairman of Social Work from 1994 - 96. He was The Highland Council's first chairman of the Housing and Social Work Committee and held this post until 1999.

He returned to The Highland Council in 2003 after a four-year absence, representing Scorguie. In 2007, he was elected as an Independent Councillor in the three-member Inverness West Ward.

At the 1992 General Election, Mr MacDonald was the Labour candidate for Ross Cromarty and Skye, standing against MP, Charles Kennedy.

In a work capacity, Councillor MacDonald served for more than 40 years with the health service, retiring in March 2007 as a nurse manager at Craig Dunain Hospital, Inverness.

Council Convener Sandy Park paid tribute to Councillor MacDonald's outstanding service to local government.

He said: "Jimmy was a hugely popular and hard working member of the council. He did so much good work for the community he served and for the wider Highlands, through his specialist interest in social work and health issues. His sense of humour lightened up many a council debate. He will be sorely missed by his colleagues and our thoughts at this time are with his family."

Provost Jimmy Gray, Chairman of The Highland Council's Inverness City Committee, said: "I had the pleasure of knowing Jimmy for more than 30 years. He was a deeply caring person, a very conscientious councillor and great fun to be with. He was respected right across the political spectrum thanks to his sense of fairness and his acute sense of humour. So many people will be saddened by this loss."