Longtime Vancouver City councillor Don Bellamy has died at the age of 91. Bellamy is seen in an undated handout image. He was first elected in November 1976 and was re-elected 10 times, serving on council for 23 consecutive years until his retirement in 1999. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Vancouver Archives
Former longtime Vancouver city councillor Don Bellamy has died at the age of 91.
Bellamy was first elected in November 1976 and was re-elected 10 times, serving on council for 23 consecutive years until his retirement in 1999.
Before entering politics, Bellamy was a Vancouver police sergeant after he'd actively served in the military in 1944 as a 16-year-old gunner on corvettes and destroyers in the North Atlantic.
Bellamy also co-founded the White Spot Pipe Band for youth aged eight to 16, inspiring thousands of youngsters during his 30 years as the unit's bandmaster and drumming instructor.
As a director of the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association for 27 years, he helped develop industry-wide training programs and was inducted into the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame in 2007.
Bellamy died on June 29 in a West Kelowna hospice after suffering from a number of age-related ailments.
He is survived by Ness, his wife of 71 years.
