Though enjoying no educational advantage himself, Ernest Alfred Sugars was a Rushden man who appreciated education’s value and gave much of his time to administering it for the benefit of others.

Leaving school to take up boot work at an early age, he took a studious interest in local affairs, and rose to be chief citizen and senior Urban Council member.

Mr. Sugars’ death on Wednesday morning at his home, 59 Portland Road, came as a shock to many friends in public and private life for he had been quite active until the last few weeks, and made no secret of the pleasure he derived from the performance of public duties.

Aged 76, he was a lifelong resident of the town, and was born in “The Orchard” – now known as Orchard Place. His experience of committee work began with the Co-operative Education Committee in 1920, and developed two years later when he joined the Rushden School Managers and District Education Sub-Committee.

Mr. Sugars was several times chairman of these committees, and did so much spare time work for education that he held a leading place among those who have served Rushden in this way.

On the Urban Council he had been a Labour member for the East Ward continuously since 1934, but the political angle was never a strong one with him, and he held the respect and confidence of all groups. He was chairman of the council when the last war broke out, and had a second year of office in 1954-55.

An outstanding figure in the history of Rushden Co-operative Society, he devoted 29 years to Management Committee work, starting in 1922, and was for 16 years a strong president, intent on a progressive policy. When he retired under the age limit in 1951 the committee presented him with an illuminated address and the departmental managers gave him a clock.

Mr. Sugars had also been chairman of Kettering and Wellingborough Co-operative Hours and Wages Board, a finisher at the CWS boot works for many years and in recent times an ardent member and sometime chairman of Higham Ferrers and Rushden Road Safety Committee, and served on the county committee.

Mrs. Sugars, two daughters and a son are bereaved. The funeral takes place at Rushden this afternoon, with a service at Park Road Baptist Church at three o’clock.