TRIBUTES for Petersfield man Ken Bulmer have praised an "absolute gentleman" after the former county councillor died peacefully in his sleep last Thursday. He passed away at the Copper Beeches Nursing Home in Liss, aged 87. Kenneth Hubert North Bulmer was born on February 21, 1921, in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire. He was best known in the Petersfield area for his "tireless" work as a county councillor and was involved in many community projects, many of which were with his wife, Elsa, who was a town and district councillor. Ken's career began in the RAF during World War Two, spent mostly on central command around Britain and in North Africa. After the war, he became a pilot for the British Overseas Airways Corporation, which later became British Airways. He served abroad in Ethiopia and Bahrain, and returned as a senior captain on 747 flights. On one occasion he had the Queen as a passenger on a state visit to Canada. He later received a Queen's commendation for flying. Ken and Elsa moved to Ramshill in Petersfield in the late 1950s, where the family home remains at The Gables. Ken retired in the late 1970s, aged 55. In the early 1980s, Ken became the first Liberal county councillor for Petersfield. His daughter, Karen Bowrey, said: "When he retired he worked really tirelessly for Petersfield, with mum, on so many things. A lot of the work he did was together with mum." One of the projects he was involved in was helping to raising money for the first minibus for the elderly in Petersfield, which still runs to this day, in conjunction with Age Concern. As one of the instigators in getting the county council to build a residential home on land near his home, Ken had Bulmer House named in his honour. The day care and residential home was close to where he lived and Ken helped there as a gardener and in the day care centre. He would later spend a short time there as a resident. He was also known for his work with the churches and was "very much involved" in a redevelopment project at St Peter's Church. Up until about five years ago, Keb was also chairman of governors for Langrish Primary School. Karen said: "He was a wonderful and generous man. We have had so many letters and cards. It has been enormously moving with all the tributes coming through of how people admired dad's advice and so many said what an absolute gentleman he was. It showed how respected a man he was, and one we will obviously miss." Town councillor and former mayor Ken Hick said: "Ken was an upright, honest man who gave his best to the town, borne out of strong Christian principles. He had a wide knowledge of the real world and worked outside of the restraints of party politics." Ken is survived Elsa, children Andrew and Karen, and five grandchildren.
