MORE than 100 people packed into a small village church this afternoon for the funeral of Chiltern District councillor Graham Sussum.

The 71-year-old died in the early hours of Saturday morning following a short illness.

His son, John Sussum, told the congregation at St Mary Magdalene Church in Latimer that his father was “a gentleman in every sense of the word”.

He told of his early career as a “brilliant pilot” in the RAF and how “everything he did he did extremely well”, including being awarded a first-class degree at university.

He said his father once encountered Margaret Thatcher “who remembered him from his RAF days”. She told him he had flown her before and advised him to “get rid of the beard dear”, he said.

Graham Sussum, who lived in Ley Hill Common in Chesham, went on to do an MA in American History and Politics and worked as a university lecturer before joining the Conservative Party.

He represented the ward of Ashley Green, Latimer & Chenies on Chiltern District Council and was the current vice-chairman of the planning committee.

He was also the current chairman of Latimer Parish Council and there were a number of other members in attendance.

John Sussum said his father was a great family man and added: “He will be terribly missed by us all, but we consider ourselves terribly lucky to have had him.”

Graham Sussum leaves a wife, Hilary, and three adult children.