Former Wilmington councilwoman Pat Delair dies

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Former Wilmington City Councilwoman Pat Delair has died, according to a Facebook post from her son.

Chris Delair posted a message from his mother’s account last night announcing her death. He said she died in hospice care in his home. It is unclear from the post when she died.

“I would like to apologize for not letting everyone know sooner,” Chris Delair wrote. “I had some personal issues and requests from my mother that prevented me from being upfront right away.”

Delair won a seat on city council in October 2006 to fill the seat of Bill Saffo after he was appointed mayor to replace Spence Broadhurst, who moved out of town. A year later, Delair received the second most votes in a 12-candidate race for three open council seats, but wound up finishing third in a run-off for two of the seats.

As her term in office ended, Delair revealed she had cancer.

During her time on city council, Delair was an outspoken critic of the city’s plans to build the Convention Center. She was also the only member to vote against funding for its construction.

Delair was also a businesswoman and remained active in the community, including on environmental issues.

In his Facebook post, Delair’s son said a memorial service is being planned, but he did not yet have details.