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POLITICIAN Josep Carles Tous has died at the age of 66, following a serious illness. He leaves a widow, María José Martorell, and two children.
Tous was born in Palma on April 14, 1940.
Between 1961 and 1977, he was the director of the Libreria Tous and a managing director of Laboratorios Fortuny (1969-75) but it will be for his work on the Palma city council for which he will be remembered. He was a city councillor for the Democratic Centre Union (UCD) from 1979 to 1982; then for a right wing coalition from 1983 to 1987 before joining the Partido Popular in 1989. He was closely involved with the Municipal Funeral Parlour, where he held the posts of vice chairman, chairman and manager until he retired in 2003.
He modernised the service, paying particular attention to the incineration service and his work in this field was widely praised abroad.
He is credited with playing a key role in rationalising the service, adapting it to the needs of a city like Palma, converting the Funeral Parlour into a virtually private enterprise with a strong public service vocation. From 1991 to 1995 he was Deputy Mayor for culture, education and youth, chairman of the funeral parlour and vice-chairman of the Pilar and Joan Miró Foundation in Majorca. During his term of office, he refurbished the Casal Solleric, the Museum and Bellver Castle, created the exhibition areas of Ses Voltes and the Cardenal Despuig Museum and opened the Municipal Theatre. He had a life-long interest in literature and music, which he shared with his wife, and had a large library. Because of his interest in the history of Majorca, he played a leading role in the Sociedad Arqueológica Luliana. He also had close ties with the Bulletin's sister publication Ultima Hora, as he was a shareholder and a grandson of Josep Tous Ferrer, who founded the paper.
The funeral will be held at the parish church of Santa Eulalia in Palma at 7.30pm on Monday.