{{Short description|British politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Ray Hassall | honorific_suffix = | image = Kate Bunce blue plauqe unveiling - 2015-09-10 - Andy Mabbett - 02 CROP.jpg | office1 = 106th Lord Mayor of Birmingham | term_start1 = May 2015 | term_end1 = May 2016 | successor1 = Carl Rice | predecessor1 = Shafique Shah | office2 = Member of Birmingham City Council for Perry Barr | term_start2 = 3 May 1990 | term_end2 = 12 March 2017 | predecessor2 = | successor2 = Morriam Jan | office3 = Deputy Lord Mayor of Birmingham | term_start3 = May 2016 | term_end3 = 12 March 2017 | predecessor3 = Shafique Shah | successor3 = Paul Tilsley | caption = | birth_date = 1943 | birth_place = West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England | birth_name = Raymond Geoffrey Hassall | death_date = {{death date and age|2017|3|12|1943|1|1|df=y}} | death_place = Erdington, Birmingham, England | death_cause = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | monuments = | party = Liberal Democrats | other_names = | education = | alma_mater = | occupation = | employer = | organization = | agent = | known_for = | notable_works = | style = | home_town = | spouse = | partner = | children = | parents = | relatives = | awards = | website = }}
'''Raymond Geoffrey Hassall''' (1943 – 12 March 2017), known as '''Ray''', was a British politician
Hassall served in local government in Birmingham, England representing Perry Barr ward for the Liberal Democrats party, and being Birmingham City Council's cabinet member for leisure, sport and culture from 2006 to 2009, and as Lord Mayor of the city in the year May 2015 to May 2016.<ref name="Elkes-1">{{cite news |url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/ex-lord-mayor-ray-hassall-12729535 |title=Ex-Lord Mayor Ray Hassall dies suddenly aged 74 |last=Elkes |first=Neil |work=Birmingham Mail |date=12 March 2017 |accessdate=4 April 2017}}</ref>
==Early life== Hassall was born at Hallam Hospital in West Bromwich<ref name="lordmayor">{{cite web|url=http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/lordmayor|title=Lord Mayor of Birmingham - Councillor Raymond Hassall|publisher=Birmingham City Council|accessdate=4 April 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150616190319/http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/lordmayor|archivedate=16 June 2015}}</ref> in 1943, before his family moved to nearby Great Barr.<ref name="Dale">{{cite web|url=http://www.thechamberlainfiles.com/lord-mayor-ray-hassall-the-proud-brummie-from-west-brom/|title=Lord Mayor Ray Hassall – the proud Brummie from West Brom|last=Dale|first=Paul|work=The Chamberlain Files|accessdate=4 April 2017|archive-date=5 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170405171945/http://www.thechamberlainfiles.com/lord-mayor-ray-hassall-the-proud-brummie-from-west-brom/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1957, they moved to Canada. He returned three years later and joined the British Army's Royal Corps of Signals,<ref name="Dale" /><ref name="Elkes-2">{{cite news|url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/next-birmingham-lord-mayor-backs-9274075|title=Next Birmingham Lord Mayor backs cancer charity following double tragedy|last=Elkes|first=Neil|date=17 May 2015|work=Birmingham Mail|accessdate=4 April 2017}}</ref> from which he was demobbed in 1966.<ref name="lordmayor" /> He subsequently worked for the GPO, latterly BT, from where he retired in 1991.<ref name="lordmayor" />
==Political career== He was first elected to Perry Barr ward on 3 May 1990.<ref name="Harrison">{{cite web|url=http://birminghamnewsroom.com/deputy-lord-mayor-cllr-raymond-hassall/|title=Deputy Lord Mayor Cllr Raymond Hassall|last=Harrison|first=Debbie|date=13 March 2017|work=Birmingham News Room|publisher=Birmingham City Council|accessdate=4 April 2017}}</ref> He was also a trustee of Birmingham Civic Society until 2016,<ref name="BCS">{{cite web|url=http://www.birminghamcivicsociety.org.uk/ray-hassall/|title=Councillor Ray Hassall - Birmingham Civic Society|date=30 March 2017 |publisher=Birmingham Civic Society|accessdate=4 April 2017}}</ref> serving as its President during his term of office as Lord Mayor of Birmingham.
Notably, Hassall served as Lord Mayor of the city of Birmingham in the year May 2015 to May 2016.<ref name="Elkes-1"/>
==Death== He died unexpectedly, on 12 March 2017, age 74, at his home in the city's Erdington district, while serving as Deputy Lord Mayor of Birmingham.<ref name="Harrison" /> He was divorced, and his son predeceased him aged 40.<ref name="Dale" /><ref name="Elkes-2" />
His funeral was held on 12 May 2017, at St Peter and St Paul, Aston, followed by a memorial event and wake at Alexander Stadium.<ref name="Focus">{{cite news|title=Funeral arrangements for the late Cllr Ray Hassall|date=April 2017|work=Focus on Perry Barr, Great Barr & Witton }}</ref> A separate civic memorial service was held at Birmingham Cathedral on 15 May.<ref name="Focus" />
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links ==
* [http://www.greatbarrobserver.co.uk/councillor-ray-hassall Stories featuring Hassall]{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, in the Great Barr Observer * [http://birminghamnewsroom.com/tag/lord-mayor-cllr-raymond-hassall/ News releases featuring Hassall (as Lord Mayor)] on Birmingham City Council's 'Newsroom' website * [http://birminghamnewsroom.com/tag/deputy-lord-mayor-cllr-raymond-hassall/ News releases featuring Hassall (as Deputy Lord Mayor)] on Birmingham City Council's 'Newsroom' website
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hassall, Ray}} Category:1943 births Category:2017 deaths Category:Place of birth missing Category:Liberal Democrats (UK) councillors Category:Lord mayors of Birmingham, West Midlands Category:People from West Bromwich Category:People from Great Barr Category:BT Group people Category:Royal Corps of Signals soldiers Category:20th-century British Army personnel Category:Military personnel from the West Midlands (county)