They say there are certain things that run in the family.
And for the Papworths of Felmingham, it is certainly true - as now that long-serving Jim decided to stand down from the helm of his parish council after 51 years, he has handed the reigns onto none other than his son Tim.
Mr Papworth Snr, 75, took on his position in the 1965, at just the age of 26.
In the following half a century he saw the population of the village increase by a third, with transport links and business in the area growing along with it.
Among his proudest achievements was keeping the parish's share of council tax low.
'Something that's also changed is the housing in the area,' Mr Papworth Snr said.
'When I was chairman we were asked to help manage families in council estates, so I always made an effort to keep village families together. We wouldn't be able to do that now.'
His years in charge are fondly remembered by his son, who recalls his dad unveiling the new village sign when he was younger.
But while paying tribute to his father's extraordinary long service, Mr Papworth Jnr is also keen to modernise the authority - by getting the parish council a website.
He added: 'We're facing very different issues to what my father dealt with in his time as chairman.
'Back then his main concerns would have been the bypasses and gaining better access to the area. Now, we're looking at more and more cars being on the roads with the areas, families and households have two cars each a lot of the time.'
Among Mr Papworth Jnr's priorities are rejuvenating to the council-owned Bryants Heath and Stow Heath to make them nicer places for walkers.
However he said: 'I shall not be chairman for 50 years as I'm taking over at 49!'
Mr Papworth Snr added: 'I'm delighted to be standing down and that Tim was elected to take over. It'll be nice to have some time off while I'm still in good health and haven't lost my marbles!'
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here