Richard Boaden - Hexham 41 Club
Richard John Boaden
Former antiques dealer Richard Boaden, who was twice Mayor of Hexham, devoted much of his life to voluntary and charity work in the town, notably as a leading member of Hexham Round Table where he was Chairman in 1985/86; before becoming a member of Hexham 41 Club and, later, a founder member of the Rotary Club of Tynedale. Richard trained as a chartered surveyor but following the death of his father in 1971 he spent the next three decades running Boaden’s Antique Shop in the Market Place in Hexham. Richard spent a great deal of his life supporting voluntary organisations in Hexham and was Chairman of the Tynedale Chamber of Commerce, as well as chairing the Hexham Retail Committee. On the leisure front, he was President of Hexham Amateur Stage Society, and Chairman of Hexham Carnival Committee. Among the other organisations receiving Richard’s support were Hexham Historic Trust; the Sele First School in Hexham, where he was a Governor; Tynedale Committee for the Disabled; Tynedale Crossroads Care Attendant Scheme; and Tynedale Talking Newspaper for the blind. He was also a trustee of Northumberland Blind Persons’ Trust Fund. Despite all these commitments he was a local Councillor for eight years in the late 70s and early 80s including finding time to serve two terms as Mayor of Hexham. Richard was a strong supporter of Hexham’s links with its twin towns of Noyon in France, Metzingen in Germany and Brande in Denmark, serving as both Chairman and Secretary of Hexham Town Twinning Association. Regrettably, Richard was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2009 and on his death on 5 January 2022, aged 76, he left Sandra his wife of 53 years. Our condolences go to her and their three children
