The County of Perth has announced that former Warden Jim Aitcheson has passed away.
The county made the announcement in a news release issued Friday morning, saying it learned of his passing "with profound sadness."
Aitcheson was first elected to office in 2006, when he was elected as the councillor for Downie Ward in the Township of Perth South. He served in that position until 2022 when he was elected the Mayor of Perth South.
In total he served 13 years on Perth County Council, three of them as Warden (2019-2022). It was during his time as Warden that he led the county through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I had the pleasure of working with Jim as a fellow member of County Council and had the fortunate opportunity to work alongside him as Deputy Warden during his time as Warden of Perth County.” said current Perth County Warden Rhonda Ehgoetz. “It has been an honour to work alongside him and his voice and presence will be greatly missed around the Council table.”
In addition to serving the community on council, Aitcheson was also a member of the Optimist Club of Downie. He had been with the club since 1991 and was involved in the construction of the pavilion in St. Pauls Park in 1994. His service to the community earned him the Ontario Volunteer Service Award in 2010.
"He was immensely proud of his life in Perth South, where he shared his life with his wife Lori and their children Tracey, Kelly, and Greg," a statement from Perth South said.
In honour of his life and service to the community, the flag at the County Courthouse will be lowered until the day of his funeral.