Born in 1934, John Watts worked at Odhams for 25 years where he was also a union official.

Among many of his achievements, John served as a local councillor in Watford from 1976 until 1989 when he then became Mayor until 1990.

He was part of the group that spearheaded the creation of the successful Wenta business centres located in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and North London and raised money with a charity pub crawl across Watford for the red play bus that children in the town from the 1980s will fondly remember. John needed little persuasion for this particular charitable exploit.

In Woodside, John will forever be remembered as being both the saviour and originator of the Leavesden High Road First World War memorial plaque.

He rescued it from the reading room located on the current site of Leavesden Green Junior School as it was being demolished and was then instrumental in having the memorial erected in its current location.

Without him the yearly service of remembrance normally attended by hundreds of local people each year would simply not exist.

John clearly enjoying this particular bike during his mayoral year

John's love of Watford took him and his wife Sheila to Watford’s then twin towns Mainz in Germany, Nantes in France, Wilmington in the United States and even Novgorod in Russia at the height of the Cold War despite being warned against it by then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Johns friendly, hands across the water approach meant he made many new friends during these trips for both Watford and himself.

Much closer to home John was also well known amongst the Leavesden Hospital community by both staff and patients alike.

Occasionally a resident would find their way out of the hospital grounds and would be wondering the streets until John would find them and guide them home without incident or fuss.

John moved to Woodside in 1963 where he lived with his wife Sheilaa whom he had first met when she was 13 years of age.

He would cycle to see Sheila after school on his trade bike and they remained happily married until John's passing on New Year’s Day.

John is survived by his wife Sheila, children Paul and Lynne and seven grandchildren.

John Watts was a unique and humble man who will always be remembered fondly by his family, friends and community.