Tributes have been paid following the death of Westminster City councillor Audrey Lewis.
The Bryanston & Dorset Square councillor, who passed away over the weekend, had just finished serving a term as Lord Mayor of Westminster, stepping down from the position in May.
Council leader Philippa Roe said: “Audrey served as a councillor for 13 years, bringing with her an enormous wealth of knowledge and experience, as well as a great sense of public service.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Audrey’s family and many friends at this very sad time.”
Cllr Lewis joined cabinet in 2004, first as member for community protection and licensing, and then customer services and neighbourhoods. In 2004, she also took on the role of chairman of the main licensing committee.
Cllr Roe added: “Her year as Lord Mayor was one that I know she enjoyed enormously, and Audrey’s Mayoralty was, as with her whole Westminster career, characterised by her sense of dignity and duty, her extraordinary work ethic, but also her sense of fun and sheer enjoyment.
“Being chairman of the main licensing committee was a role for which she was eminently experienced and able, and was a role to which she took with huge dedication, as was widely recognised by the staff with whom she worked and the many people in the licensing industry who knew her.
“Westminster is left without one of the most talented and hard-working councillors I have had the privilege to work with.”
Before becoming a councillor, Mrs Lewis had a successful career in advertising.
She is survived by her step-daughter Victoria Lewis, and three grand-daughters Frances, Nancy and Kathleen, who, along with Victoria, served as her Consorts during her recent Lord Mayoral year.
She was married to Peter Lewis, who died in 2010. They lived together in Marylebone for more than 40 years.
As a mark of respect for Cllr Lewis, the flag over City Hall flew at half-mast on Monday (July 13), and a book of condolence was in the City Hall Foyer that same afternoon.
