Memorial fund set up after death of four-time mayor

Jim’s wife Brenda, who is borough councillor for Langley Green and county councillor for Langley Green and West Green, set up the fund rather than asking people to send flowers to his funeral.

The money will be used to fund a trip to Crawley’s twin town of Dorsten, Germany, for a student who may not have had wherewithal to do so themselves.

As one of the founding fathers of the town twinning partnership between Dorsten and Crawley, which started in 1973, Jim was in Germany in August to receive a medal in recognition of his commitment to the project.

His death was a source of sadness for his overseas friends. Tobias Stockhoff, mayor of Dorsten, said: “Jim Smith was a well-loved man and a great European, for whom European Unity was not just an abstract project but one which could only be achieved through cooperation between individuals and municipalities.

“At a time when many are calling European Unity into question, his voice will be sorely missed.”

His tribute was one of many which moved Brenda and helped her to realise how many people held her husband in such high regard.

After receiving more than 100 cards and countless emails and text messages in the two days after his death, she said: “It’s a comfort to know that what I thought about him as a person is what so many other people enjoyed about him as well. It’s the greatest thing that anyone could ask for.”

Herr Stockhoff will be in Crawley on December 5 to attend Jim’s funeral.

Having spent their married life knowing Jim “belonged to Crawley”, Brenda was keen to allow as many people as possible to say their farewells and celebrate his life.

As such, a funeral service, which will be open to all, will be held at St Margaret’s Church, Ifield, at 1pm on Monday (December 5).