THE leader of Torfaen council has paid tribute to a former county borough and Croesyceiliog South ward councillor who died over the weekend.

Marlene Thomas, 82, of Plantation Drive, Croesyceiliog served as member of Gwent and Torfaen councillor until 2012, when she retired.

Cllr Bob Wellington CBE paid homage to Mrs Thomas, who was a trained lawyer and a former Labour councillor.

“It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of former councillor Marlene Thomas,” said cllr Wellington.

“I knew Marlene over many years. First when she was a councillor with Gwent County Council and more recently when we served together on Torfaen County Borough Council.”

Originally from the Swansea area and a former Aberystwyth student, Mrs Thomas settled in Croesyceiliog during the sixties, where she lived until her death.

“Marlene was certainly one of the most able councillors that it has been my privilege to have worked with,” cllr Wellington added.

“A trained lawyer, she brought her analytical skills and insight to her council work and, until her retirement in 2012, she held the cabinet portfolio for resources, a demanding role which required a knowledge and understanding of the broad sweep of the council’s work and how public services are managed and funded.”

Mrs Thomas is survived by her three children – two sons and a daughter – and grandchildren.

She was a devoted servant to her ward, cllr Wellington added.

“Her natural sparkle and ready laugh were undimmed and she was relaxed and chatty with everyone she met, irrespective of their seniority or status, though most especially with her constituents in her ward of Croesyceiliog South,” he said.

“Marlene was recognised across Wales and further afield as a person of substance, highly intelligent and principled.

“A committed socialist, Marlene could be found at the Annual Welsh Labour Conference where she engaged with the ebb and flow of debate and with the decision making process."

In addition to her role as a councillor, Mrs Thomas was a school governor at Croesyceiliog school for over 40 years and the former chair of Torfaen Museum Trust.