'Whitnash Rottweiler' Bernard Kirton's daughter warns of speed at which Coronavirus can strike after death of her father

Bernard, affectionately known as the 'Whitnash Rottweiler', died aged 84 at Warwick Hospital on Tuesday (April 7) as a result of contracting Coronavirus.

Like in most cases of those who die in hospital as a result of the virus, Bernard's family members were not able to see him before he passed away.

Fiona said: "My father was taken to Warwick Hospital after a fall on Wednesday, April 2nd.

"At that point, he was having tea and cake on the ward and chatting with the staff.

"Due to a slight temperature, he was tested for Covid-19 and by Friday the family were called to make a decision on end-of-life care on his behalf.

"One of the difficult things about his death was that we could not visit, but the staff at Warwick Hospital read letters to him sent by his grandchildren and we would like to thank the wonderful staff on Squire Ward for doing everything they could to support us in extremely difficult circumstances.

"We would encourage everybody to have conversations with family members about their wishes for end of life care because Covid-19 strikes so quickly.

"No funeral is taking place due to the pandemic, and the family request privacy at this time.

"If anybody would like to donate in his memory please do so to Age UK or the Samaritans, which is one charity providing a helpline for NHS workers to support their mental health."

It's a sad end for a man who served the community of Whitnash, the wider Warwick District, and Warwickshire county for nearly 50 years.

In 2017, Bernard stood down from his position as a Warwickshire county councillor and he took a big step away from local politics in recent years.

He was a Freeman of the Town of Whitnash, and was its first Mayor in 1993-94.

He served the town as its mayor again in 2003–04, and was also previously the chairman of Whitnash Parish Council in 1979-81 and 1992-93.

Despite not being from the area originally, he said 'Whitnash was very close to his heart'.

Bernard was actually born in York, but his family moved to Whitley Bay in Northumberland in 1939, which is where he developed his north-eastern accent.

After a stint in the Air Training Corps, he joined the Merchant Navy as a Junior Engineer Officer at the age of 21, travelling to Australia and New Zealand with the Shaw Saville Line. Following this, he continued his naval career and joined the Blue Star Line.

When he finally left the life on the ocean wave, there was sadly very little employment in the North East of England, and therefore Bernard was forced to look for work in other areas. He first moved to Whitnash in the late 1950s, to take up a position at the Warwick Power Station – on the site that is now home to the Tesco store on Emscote Road.

At this stage, he started to become involved in the local community, and with others, founded the Whitnash Labour Party, determined to improve community facilities in the town.

In the mid-1970s, Bernard fell out with the local Labour Party, and in 1977, he formed the Whitnash Ratepayers Association with fellow councillor Tony Heath, for which they both stood as independent councillors. It was from this point on that their independent association would grow to take all the seats on the then Whitnash Parish Council.

Later, when rates were replaced by council tax, the Whitnash Ratepayers Association became the Whitnash Residents Association.

Whitnash has remained almost exclusively independent ever since, at all three levels of local government.

Cllr Judy Falp said: “He had the knack of being able to get hold of the person at the top of most organisations.

"He once got hold of Richard Branson’s PA to moan about how people with disabilities were being treated on his trains, and the head of the electric company, who lived in America, to complain about them trying to put terminal towers in residential Whitnash.

“I have learnt much from Bernard, and even with his own ill health and that of his wife and daughters, he has always been there to turn to for advice.”

Bernard was first elected to Warwickshire County Council to represent Whitnash as an independent in May 1981, and has remained the Whitnash county councillor ever since.

He served as chairman of the county council in 1996- 97, having been elected as vice- chair in 1995-96.

During his many years as county councillor, he has served on many committees of the county council. He has been a very active councillor, who has been involved at every level.

In describing his early involvement in Whitnash affairs, Bernard said, “When I started in local politics there were no real facilities in Whitnash at all, and when I look at it these days, it is like another world.”

As the first Labour Party member on what was then Warwick Rural District Council in the 1970s, one of Bernard’s first actions was to press for the mother-and-baby clinic at the old Women’s Institute Hall to be moved in to more suitable premises at the Methodist Church Hall.

He continued his campaigning for Whitnash to have its own doctor and policeman.

His involvement never stopped, and he was instrumental in having Whitnash Library extended to a “One Stop Shop” to include the Whitnash Town Council office in 2007.

In 2008, he launched the first Whitnash Community Forum for which he was chairman for most of its existence so far.

During his time, Bernard also served as a governor of all the schools in Whitnash, as well as being chairman of the governing body at Myton School.

He also served as a governor at St Joseph’s School for 35 years.

He represented Whitnash at Warwick District Council for 44 years, and held virtually every position on the district council including Chairman in 1977 – 78, and again in 1997 - 98. In 2015, he retired from Warwick District Council, but continued as a county and town councillor.

On his retirement from the district council, the then council leader Cllr Andrew Mobbs, described Bernard as an ‘exceptional councillor’.

He added: “I can’t thank him enough.”

Whitnash Town Council also said: “Over his long years of service, he has intervened in problems presented to him by hundreds of residents, always fighting for their rights.

"He has never been afraid to stand up and say what he believed in, and what he thought was best for Whitnash.

“As someone with vast experience of all levels of local government in our district for the last half a century, the ‘Whitnash Rottweiler’, Bernard Kirton will be missed by many.”

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