My sister, Ruth Ling, who has died suddenly from a pulmonary embolism, aged 60, was a Labour councillor for Tulse Hill in Lambeth, south London. She had previously served as councillor for Clapham Common for 16 years, having first been elected to Lambeth borough council in 1994.
Our parents, Mary and Trevor, met at Oxford University after the second world war. Their mutual commitment to socialist values and principles coloured our upbringing and is exemplified in Ruth's achievements.
Our father's work as a clergyman and academic meant the family had a peripatetic existence, moving between south London, Berkshire, Burma and Yorkshire. Ruth was born in Derby, when we were living in Long Eaton, and went to many different schools, including Leeds girls' high school. She began a fine art degree at Newcastle Art College, before leaving and becoming a journalist.
In 1976, Ruth moved from Yorkshire to Clapham. A change of circumstances then took her to Brazil for a few years, where she learned Portuguese, a talent she was later to employ with Lambeth's Portuguese residents. On her return to the UK, she settled in London, and it became her home for the rest of her life.
As a councillor, Ruth was utterly dedicated, often working late into the night composing detailed letters addressing constituents' problems. Each case was attacked with an exacting eye for detail and a passionate determination for a fair outcome. Her local knowledge was legendary; so was her seemingly endless stock of stories. She used her interest in art, design and architecture to become a very knowledgeable senior member of the planning committee. Among the projects in which Ruth was involved were the establishment in 2004 of the Lambeth Academy secondary school and the founding of Omnibus, a new community arts centre in the old Clapham library that is due to open later this year.
Ruth successfully represented Clapham Common for many years, eventually becoming the only Labour councillor in an increasingly non-Labour ward. But in 2010, demographic changes meant she lost her marginal seat. With characteristic resilience, she was back in the town hall within weeks, after an unexpected by-election in Tulse Hill.
As a freelance journalist, Ruth specialised in writing about design, architecture, property and interiors, but also covered areas such as work and careers and the satellite communications industry. She wrote a vintage fashion blog (she was an enthusiastic collector) and had completed at least one unpublished novel. Four months before she died, she achieved a long-held ambition and returned to Burma, on a trip organised by the Britain-Burma Society.
She is survived by her two sisters, Kate and myself.