Remembering a Sheffield Companion

Michael John Pye

4 September 1937 - 4 April 2023

Companion Mike Pye died in his sleep on 4 April 2023.

Mike was a companion of the Guild of St George for many years and often attended the AGM’s, so many Companions will have met him over the years. He was a very well known person in Sheffield for his support of the arts and indeed a lot of his time was spent working in and with the various charities and cultural institutions of the city. 

Sheffield was in fact his adopted city, as Mike was born in the east end of London, and very proud of the fact that he was a true cockney, having been born within the sound of the Bow Bells. He moved to Sheffield in 1980 with his wife Jo and two daughters when the Manpower Services Commission relocated to the Moorfoot Building and thereafter became a “Sheffielder" by conviction. Mike was first elected as a councillor in 1984, initially representing Sharrow and then the Birley ward. He served on Sheffield City Council from 1984 to 2010 and remained active and committed to the local Labour Party taking a close interest in constituency affairs.  He was also the lead spokesperson on anti-apartheid issues, and he steered through the Council policies on boycotting South African goods and barring artists who had performed in South Africa from Sheffield City Hall. He helped set up Local Authorities Against Apartheid (LAAA) and chaired its National Steering Committee from 1984 to 1994.

His interest in the culture sector resulted in him becoming chairman of Arts and Museums on the council from 1988 – 94, and then chairman of Leisure Services and deputy chair of the Planning Committee. He also served on various boards in the city namely Sheffield Theatres, including a period as chairman of the Crucible Theatre, as well as being Chairman of Yorkshire Museums, Archives and Libraries. He remained a member of the Lyceum Theatre board and a Trustee at The Hawley Collection at Kelham Island.

In 2004 he became Sheffield’s 108th Lord Mayor, with his family describing it as “one of his proudest moments to represent the city he loved and was so proud to call home.”

During his year in office, the Cavendish Cancer Charity was his adopted charity and Mike remained as a patron of the charity for almost 20 years. He fundraised enthusiastically notably abseiling down a hotel in the centre of Sheffield in full mayoral regalia and in 2020 had his head shaved to fundraise for the charity.  

Mike had also served in the Royal Air Force for a short time where he worked at the NATO Operations HQ. He was the chairman and president of The Sheffield Royal Air Forces Association.

Mike was universally liked. Always smiling and positive he will be missed by anyone who he came into contact with, and we’d like to express our deepest sympathy to his wife Jo and family

Adapted from a tribute that appeared in the Sheffield Star.