Council mourns the loss of former Mayor Cllr Jan Williams

Llanelli Town Council has expressed their sorrow at the loss of stalwort Labour councillor and former mayor of Llanelli Jan Williams.

A post on the Facebook of Llanelli Town Council reads:

The sorrow at the loss of former Town Councillor Jan Williams is deeply felt by all current and former Llanelli Town Councillors and staff.

Jan was a wonderful representative of her residents and served Llanelli as a Town Councillor for over 25 years starting in 1991 and as Town Mayor is 1997-98, she was also Town Council Leader in 2017-18. Jan was a great friend and mentor to all Town Councillors and was universally respected by all her colleagues. Jan gave great support to all Town Council staff who appreciated her depth of knowledge of the Council and it’s arrangements.

The Town Mayor, Cllr Philip Warlow said ‘it was with great sadness that we heard of Jan’s passing. Jan was an outstanding Town Mayor and a highly respected and well liked Town Councillor, she was greatly respected by all her colleagues. She was always available to councillors that were experienced and newly elected to provide advice, guidance and friendship in her own party and across the chamber. The Lliedi Ward and Llanelli more widely has lost a champion of the electorate who will be greatly missed locally. Our thoughts are with her family at this time’

Council Leader Cllr David Darkin said ‘I am deeply saddened to hear of Jan’s passing. Jan was a wonderful Town Councillor and great friend to all members of the Town Council, she was always available with advice and support and will be greatly missed by all current and former Councillors. My deepest condolences to the family.’

We worked with Jan on a number of stories, most memorably the saving of Parc Howard. Jan was articulate, intelligent, polite and a force to be reckoned with if it was council business. She understood the need for openness and transparency and accountability. Always present for events in the council chamber when charities or organisations were being presented with an award or just invited along to see the workings of the council. A voice of reason and common sense, Jan will be missed and Carmarthenshire and Llanelli in particular will be much the poorer without her.