Tributes have been paid to a former High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire who has died.

Peter Kara, who held the historic ceremonial role from 2017 to 2018, was remembered at a meeting of Buckinghamshire Council. Council chairman Cllr John Chilver announced his death and offered his condolences to Mr Kara’s family and friends.

He said: “It is with great sadness that I must report the death of Peter Kara, who served as High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire from 2017 to 2018.

“Peter played an active role in the voluntary sector, supporting numerous charitable organisations, and spent over 20 years as a Mental Health manager with the NHS. I wish to send my condolences to Peter’s family and friends.”

Cllr Dev Dhillon, the Conservative member for Farnhams and Stoke Poges, then paid a personal tribute, describing Mr Kara as a “special person” who touched the lives of many people.

He said: “I feel privileged to have known him and to have attended a number of civic engagements with him as chairman and vice-chairman of Buckinghamshire County Council.”

Born in South Africa, Mr Kara grew up in “a beautiful rural environment” before moving to England to study. He became a qualified accountant and had a long history of investing in private companies. He also provided financial support and strategic planning advice to medium-sized businesses.

Mr Kara was involved in a wide range of voluntary organisations. He believed young people were key to creating a more humane, environmentally aware and less avaricious society, and should be given every encouragement and opportunity to create a better world.

Mr Dhillon added: “He was a trustee of Milton Keynes Community Foundation and a director of its subsidiary, Milton Keynes Properties Limited.

“Having served [as a] chairman on both organisations, he was involved in [the] local NHS board as a non-executive director since 1993.

“He also served on the board of East England Ambulance Trust and served as a mental health manager for Central and Northwest London Mental Health Trust.

“As a High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire in 2017-18, he was able to use his years in office to promote the wider discussion on mental health, particularly focusing on prevention and early intervention.

“He will be sadly missed, our thoughts and prayers are with his family, his son and his daughter, and his son-in -law, daughter-in -law, and again, as you said, Chairman, he was very dear to his grandchild.”

Members stood to observe a minute’s silence in his memory.