Tributes paid to former South Lanarkshire councillor following her passing

Tributes have been paid to a former South Lanarkshire councillor following her death.

The Rutherglen and Hamilton West Liberal Democrats have honoured former Rutherglen councillor Gretel Ross, who passed away on June 16.

Gretel served as a councillor for Rutherglen North on Glasgow District Council and Stonelaw Ward on the new South Lanarkshire Council from 1980 until her retirement in 2007.

Leader of the South Lanarkshire Liberal Democrat group, councillor Robert Brown (Rutherglen South), said: “Gretel was a one-off and I, like many others, will miss her tremendously.

“I had great difficulty in persuading her to stand for the council back in 1980 but, when she did, her first campaign was a revelation. She knew someone in every street in the ward and every block in the West End flats from her time running Rutherglen Pre school playgroup and the Stonelaw PTA.

“She was simply a superb candidate and councillor.

“She founded and encouraged a dynamic group of Young Liberals and our local Liberal Democrats in Rutherglen were latterly proud to have her as our honorary president.

“She was very loyal but she liked her own way too. There was a time when there were just two of us as Liberal councillors. If a contentious issue came up, we discussed it, she told me her view and that was that. I had to do what I was told!

“She never held direct power as a council leader or committee chair but she worked effectively with council officials and politicians across the board to get things done.

“After she retired, I was repeatedly struck by just how many people’s lives she had touched, how many causes she had helped and what a difference she had made to people’s lives – often interventions I had not heard about. All the local groups just loved her.

“Gretel Ross gave politics a good name – she knew what public service was about.”

Throughout her career as a local councillor, Gretel was involved with numerous organisations including Landemer, Rutherglen and Cambuslang Housing Association, Rutherglen Carers and Overtoun Park BMX Club which she founded and supported.

Her funeral will take place on July 12.

Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.

And did you know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook? Head on over and give us a like and share!