Port Chalmers identity and former mayor Sir John Thorn has died, aged 97.
Born in Dunedin, Sir John moved to Port Chalmers in the late 1920s to begin a plumbing apprenticeship, and later owned various businesses including a plumbing firm, a TAB, and a bookshop.
He and his wife, Lady Constance, were married for 61 years until her death in 1997.
Sir John was elected to the Port Chalmers Borough Council in 1938 and held various positions for more than 40 years.
He became mayor in 1956 and was still mayor when the council was dissolved and amalgamated into the Dunedin City Council in 1989.
He was knighted in 1984 in recognition of a half century of service to his community.
Sir John's funeral will be held in the Port Chalmers Town Hall on Wednesday.
An obituary will follow.
