It is with great sadness that we report the death of Dean Ruddle on 5 January 2024.
Dean had Somerton stamped through him like a stick of rock. He worked tirelessly as a town councillor, chairing the council for several years, as a district councillor and as a Somerset Councillor too. In each capacity he represented the town he loved.
He served as a Conservative, and Independent and latterly as a LibDem. But that was Dean. The colour of the politics was always incidental. He wanted to work for the good of his town and ultimately the good of his county.
Dean was a great friend of The Leveller®, he always took ads with us to support his election campaigns and was generous with his time as well as his financial support. He was the sort of person you could debate with, openly and honestly and never worry about holding your tongue. Any information he gave us always proved to be reliable and that’s not some thing we could say about too many people!
With a successful family business background, he really didn’t need to get involved with public service. Yet he did so with relish. Not many people given the Adult Services portfolio, the difficult child in the Somerset Council family, would still get stuck into the work with the boundless enthusiasm that Dean did.
Leader of Somerset Council Bill Revans said of Dean: “He was a remarkable advocate for his community, a great colleague, and a superb mate. I know we will all be devastated by this – colleagues, staff, friends, communities – as the news sinks in of his loss. Somerset Council’s sincere sympathies go out to Rachael and all of Dean’s family as they struggle to cope with this shocking news. Rest in Peace Mr Somerton. You will be so greatly missed.”

Paying tribute for the family Rachael Ruddle added: “We are distraught to say goodbye to our dearest Dean. He was the most caring husband, father, and grandfather you could have ever wish for. Our family’s wellbeing was always his highest priority in life. He was such a kind-hearted man who wanted the best for everyone around him.“
Martyn Smith was vice chair to Dean on Somerton Town Council. He told us: “although we didn’t always agree on various matters, one certain thing was that Dean was absolutely committed to doing what he thought was best for Somerton. Looking back on his time as Chair of STC, he did an incredible amount of good for the town. He was a good businessman and always took the long view, not a short quick fix – refreshing for someone in his position.”
He died far too young but having achieved an enormous amount. He will be greatly missed. We offer our sincere condolences to his family.