FORMER councillor Graham Wallace was still fighting for his community – even after being paralysed by terminal cancer.

Mr Wallace, who was instrumental in bringing the Wallace Centre to Abbey Hulton, which bears his name in tribute to his efforts, died at his home in Newhouse Road, Abbey Hulton, on Saturday, surrounded by his family.

His wife of 38 years, Barbara, said: "Graham had cancer two years ago. He had a kidney removed and a triple heart bypass in 2009.

"He had been going to Birmingham for tests since then, but the cancer came back with a vengeance about eight weeks ago.

"He went into hospital on December 8 and within four days, he was paralysed from the waist down.

"When he came home, on December 21, he convinced himself he would be able to get out of bed and into a wheelchair.

"He stayed strong, even though he knew he had lost his fight with cancer, he was quite determined. He was still fighting for the community over parking at the hospital. Graham was a very bubbly sort of person, he was always having a laugh.

"He was very passionate about Abbey Hulton and had lived in the community all his life."

Mr Wallace, a father-of-three and grandfather-of-five, was well known in Abbey Hulton as the chairman of the Wallace Centre and former chairman of the ABC Residents' Association.

He was also a long-serving councillor who fought passionately for Abbey Hulton, from the late 1980s when he was first elected, until 2002.

Ex-councillor Barry Stockley, pictured below, former chairman of the Stoke-on-Trent Labour party and leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council when Mr Wallace was first elected, said: "Graham led the fight for the sport and leisure complex which was eventually named the Wallace Centre, after him.

"Graham was Abbey Hulton through and through.

"He was respected by everyone who knew him and he was a very effective councillor.

"He stuck up for the people he represented.

"Graham was also a close personal friend of mine and I have been visiting him regularly.

"He would often say, 'I'm glad you've come, I want you to take up such and such an issue'."

Mr Wallace's last efforts on behalf of the community was to successfully argue that disabled hospital patients should be allowed to park for free, even when all the disabled bays were taken.

Councillor Neil Day first met Mr Wallace about 15 years ago, when Mr Wallace was a councillor and Mr Day was an officer at the city council.

He said: "Graham was a real character in local politics.

"You knew when you had met him, because he was impossible to forget.

"Graham wouldn't be afraid to criticise people, but he never did it unfairly.

"He championed Abbey Hulton and the improvements in the area over the last 18 years are partly down to him.

"He will be sadly missed."

Councillor Gwen Hassall, who counted Mr Wallace as a friend as well as a Labour Party colleague, said: "He was a very caring person. His heart was in the Abbey.

"He was always part of the community.

"If he wasn't the chairman of any group to do with the Abbey, he was on the committee."

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