Bench dedicated to popular Halesowen businessman unveiled
It is one of 10 benches to appear in the town centre.
Tony's family & members of Rotarians gathered to dedicate bench in his memory including James Morris MP and Pam Billingham, centre.
Submitted by Amanda Chalmers
A new bench and plaque has been unveiled in memory of a well-known businessman who died last October.
Tony Billingham, who was an active member of the community in Halesowen, West Midlands, died aged 81 following a short battle with cancer.
The bench has been sponsored by Halesowen and Rowley Regis Rotary Club, which Tony was a member of for 37 years.
He was also a past president and youth exchange officer at the Rotary Club, as well as a founding member of Halesowen Business Improvement District (BID) and a member of Halesowen In Bloom.
He ran Lapal House Care Home and Grange Hill House in Halesowen, as well as Beechcroft Residential Home in Oldbury and continued to work throughout the pandemic.
The bench was officially unveiled in Somers Square by friends and family, including Tony’s wife of 58 years, Pam.
Pam said: "This is a wonderful tribute to my husband. He would have been humbled and thrilled to have been honoured in this way, as he was a Halesowen man through and through."
It is latest the of 10 benches to appear in the town centre, sponsored by local organisations as part of a BID initiative and features Rotary-coloured artwork by local artist Jane Elder.
Halesowen MP, and a great friend of Tony’s, James Morris, said: "This is a fitting tribute to a man who made a huge contribution to Halesowen.
"He was a true gentleman and friend and was committed to improving the town."
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