Memorial Service For Doreen Bellerby Will Be On April 16

Published on: 30 Mar, 2015
Updated on: 11 Apr, 2015

A memorial service will be held to commemorate the life of Honorary Freeman Doreen Bellerby MBE, who passed away recently aged 95.

Doreen Bellerby who has died aged 95. Picture courtesy of Shirley West.

The service will take place at Holy Trinity Church, Guildford on Thursday, April 16, at 3.30pm. All are welcome to attend.

Mrs Bellerby served as a Guildford Borough Councillor for a total of 41 years. She was first elected to the council as a Labour member in 1954 and retired in 1995. She was Mayor of Guildford in 1991-92.

During her time on the borough council, she served on a wide range of council committees, but took a particular interest in furthering the interests of local organisations involved with the arts, sports and recreation as well as the disadvantaged.

She served as vice-chairman of Surrey Voluntary Association for the Disabled, as patron of the Rape & Sexual Abuse centre and took a very active part in the work of the Surrey Voluntary Association for the Blind, the South East Regional Association for the Deaf, the Guildford Committee for Equipment for Disabled Children and Guildford Community Mediation Service.

Together with her husband Bill, she was awarded the MBE in 1991 in recognition of her services to the community. In the same year they were both awarded honorary degrees by the University of Surrey.

She also served four terms, totalling 20 years, as a Surrey County Councillor between 1958 and 1989.

At a meeting held on March 25, 1995, the council conferred the Honorary Freedom of the Borough of Guildford on Doreen and Bill in recognition of their long and distinguished public service as councillors. The honour also recognised their outstanding contribution to the work of local voluntary organisations the arts, sports and recreation and their commitment to the welfare of Guildford and its citizens.

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