Family members, friends and many others in the community are mourning the loss this week of former Tryon Mayor Ellis Fincher Sr., who served the community for many years as a public official.

Fincher, who passed away Wednesday at the age of 81, served as mayor during three terms and was previously a member of Tryon Town Council for 14 years.

He was elected to the town council in 1981. After Bob Neely resigned as mayor and moved to Tennessee, Fincher was appointed to the mayor&squo;s position in May of 1995.

He was then elected to the mayor&squo;s office in November of 1995 and again in 1997.

The former mayor said he was pleased to see the town develop a budget surplus in the 1998-1999 fiscal year after focusing on sound fiscal management.

He also placed particular emphasis on improving the town&squo;s water quality, and helped guide the town&squo;s efforts to resolve the problem of mercury violations from wastewater.

Fincher also served the community in numerous other ways. He was a former president of the Polk County Chamber of Commerce, chairman of the Polk County Board of Social Services and treasurer of the Tryon Lions Club for about 15 years.

Fincher graduated from the University of South Carolina at Columbia with a degree in pharmacy in 1949. He owned and operated Tryon Pharmacy for many years, even continuing to work there part time for years after he sold it in 1991.