PHOTOS -- Gwinnett Rewind: Remembering Lillian Webb

Metro Atlanta

Gwinnett Rewind: Remembering Lillian Webb

PHOTOS -- Gwinnett Rewind: Remembering Lillian Webb

Lillian Webb, barrier-breaking Republican politician, former Gwinnett County commission chairman and longtime mayor of Norcross, passed away Thursday morning after a brief illness, officials confirmed. She was 87. Here, Webb smiles after voting at Norcross Elementary School in 1988. -- Text by Tyler Estep, AJC

Known as "Miss Lillian," Webb became the first woman and first Republican to be elected to the Norcross City Council in 1969. Five years later, she was elected mayor. In this October 1973 photo, Webb confers with Elmer George (center) and Winder Mayor W.H. Harwell (left). Webb was still a Norcross city council member at the time. -- Text by Tyler Estep, AJC

February 1984 -- Norcross Mayor Lillian Webb greets well-wishers on the Gwinnett County Courthouse grounds after announcing for the County Commission race. In 1984, Webb became the first woman elected chairman of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners. She led the commission for eight years before returning to her native Norcross — where she again served as mayor, this time until 2008. -- Text by Tyler Estep, AJC

Lillian Webb poses in front of the old Norcross train depot in November 1984, before she was to ascend to the Gwinnett County Commission Chairman post in January of 1985. Webb is credited with, among many other things, paving the way for downtown Norcross' revitalization. In 1974, she stopped demolition crews just before they destroyed the city's old train depot -- which is now home to several popular restaurants and shops."I didn't want to get out of my car because I was wearing my bathrobe," Webb told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2007. "But I told them, 'You men have to stop. You can't tear down this depot.'" -- Text by Tyler Estep, AJC

August 1985 -- Gwinnett County Commission Chairwoman Lillian Webb speaks at groundbreaking ceremonies for the new county courthouse. -- Text by Bill Mahan, AJC file

1990 -- Lillian Webb carries on with government business during a meeting. A recall drive against her didn't change her ways and critics acknowledged her "guts." -- Text by Billy Downs, AJC file

November 2003 -- Norcross Mayor Lillian Webb, center, relaxes with a big smile at Norcross City Hall after winning the Norcross mayoral race against Bill Barks. All told, Webb led the city for 11 terms. -- Text by Bita Honarvar, AJC file, and Tyler Estep, AJC

January 2006 -- Having won her race for re-election, Norcross Mayor Lillian Webb is sworn in at City Hall by Gwinnett County's Judge Richard T. Winegarden. -- Text by Sarah Ianacone, Special to AJC

2008 -- Outgoing Norcross Mayor Lillian Webb, left, speaks to the crowd as she holds a proclamation from Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel naming Webb as an "Outstanding Georgia Citizen." Gwinnett state legislators Sen. Don Balfour, at center background, and Rep. Pedro "Pete" Marin, at far right, presented the honor to Webb as family, friends, colleagues, business and political associates officially bid Webb farewell. The reception, held at the Norcross Station Cafe in oldtown Norcross, capped off Webb's lengthy political career in Gwinnett County. The cafe is located in the old Norcross train depot that Webb was instrumental in saving from the wrecking ball. -- Text by Kimberly Smith, AJC file

In a statement emailed to The AJC on Sept. 14, 2016, current Gwinnett Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash said Webb's contributions to the county are still being felt today. "Lillian Webb," Nash wrote, "was a visionary leader who helped lay the foundation for many of the important attributes and assets of Gwinnett — great libraries, nationally recognized parks system, construction of the Justice and Administration Center, the Civic Center, major transportation projects like Ronald Reagan Parkway, water and sewer improvements and creation of programs like GUIDE and the Coalition for Health and Human Services." -- Text by Tyler Estep, AJC

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Lillian Webb, barrier-breaking Republican politician, former Gwinnett County commission chairman and longtime mayor of Norcross, passed away Thursday morning after a brief illness, officials confirmed. She was 87. Here, Webb smiles after voting at Norcross Elementary School in 1988. -- Text by Tyler Estep, AJC

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