Former Crawley mayor remembered as a ‘true gentleman’

Crawley councillors observed a minute’s silence in memory of former mayor Howard Bloom, who died last month.
Howard Bloom during his time as Crawley MayorHoward Bloom during his time as Crawley Mayor
Howard Bloom during his time as Crawley Mayor

Heads bowed at a meeting of the full council as Conservative and Labour members remembered Dr Bloom, who served the borough as Tory councillor, mayor and leader over the years.

Friends from both sides of the political divide spoke fondly of a man who was widely agreed to be one of the most decent and cheerful members of the council.

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Mayor Raj Sharma described him as being ‘always supportive, always kind, never had a bad word to say about anybody’, while Brenda Smith (Lab, Langley Green) said he was ‘good-humoured, good-hearted and never unpleasant to anyone’.

Howard Bloom, Crawley Borough Council ENGSUS00120120531153153Howard Bloom, Crawley Borough Council ENGSUS00120120531153153
Howard Bloom, Crawley Borough Council ENGSUS00120120531153153

Dr Bloom was a GP by profession and also a governor at Manor Green College, in Ifield.

Conservative leader Duncan Crow said he had been ‘shocked and saddened’ to hear the news of his passing, adding: “Howard had a lot about him. He brought a certain calibre to this council. He was well-liked across both groups and by staff and officers as well.

“He will be remembered as some one who had a great sense of duty, either in his professional career as a doctor or as a councillor or a school governor.

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“He was a true gentleman. He was a real example of what a councillor should be in the way he conducted himself and it is a great shame that he was taken away from us too early.”

Members sent their condolences to Dr Bloom’s wife, Sue, and their family.

Leader Peter Lamb said: “He was some one who never made the political personal and who I always felt very comfortable having a drink with after full council.

“He will be greatly missed by this town and this council.”

His political career stretched between 1984 and 2018, including a stint as leader of the borough council in 2013/14 and mayor in 2008/09.

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He represented Gossops Green from 1984 to 1991, Southgate from 2006 to 2014, and Pound Hill South and Worth from 2014 to 2018. He was also county councillor for Southgate and Crawley Central from 2009 to 2013.

Born in South Wales, Dr Bloom moved to Crawley in 1977 to work at Crawley Hospital.

In 1991, he was appointed as a senior civil servant at the Department of Health and then seconded to the Department of Social Security in 1995.

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