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States Members stood in silence this morning in memory of their late colleague, Sadie Le Sueur-Rennard.
The Constable of St. Saviour passed away suddenly on 8 April.
The Bailiff, Tim Le Cocq, also paid tribute in the Assembly this morning at the start of the last sitting of this political term.
He said: “Many people have commented on what a unique and special person she was and I am sure Members will have their own special memories of time spent with her but it is fitting that we pay tribute to her in this Chamber, where she sat as the Connétable of her beloved St. Saviour since 2011.
“Sadie was born in September 1945 to her parents Eileen and Jack Le Sueur, dairy farmers.
“She had a varied range of jobs, working as a cosmetics consultant for Dior and Chanel and for Channel Airways as well as being known as the Good Wyfe at Hamptonne for many years.
“But her main career was organic dairy farming and her affection for her herd or her ‘girls’ and, indeed, for the farm where she was born and continued to run right up to her sudden death, was her true passion.
The Bailiff continued: “Sadie was a massive country music fan and undertook an annual pilgrimage to Nashville, having been made an honorary citizen of Tennessee and given the keys to the city in 1974.
“She was a stalwart of the island’s drama scene appearing in many shows across the years, particularly in Christmas pantomimes.
"Her rendition of Beautiful Jersey in both Jerriaise and English was the highlight of every Liberation Day until she ‘retired’ in 2015, although she could be persuaded to give an impromptu performance when the need arose, such as when she supported those campaigning against the use of the People’s Park for the new Hospital or when she was a delegate at the Commonwealth Women's Parliamentary Association conference in the Falklands in early 2020.
“She was the first female States member to give a Liberation Day speech in May 2016 for the 71st anniversary, recalling stories of her parents' Occupation experiences.”
He added: “Sadie was extremely passionate about her parish, its people and the island. She fought to prevent the loss of our Island’s traditions and was an ardent supporter of both our language and agricultural heritage.
“Her contributions to debates in the Assembly were always memorable, her style inimitable and the content not always in line with Standing Orders or parliamentary language.
“On one occasion her use of a Jèrriais phrase was simply recorded in Hansard as ‘Jèrriais spoken’ because its translation was too colourful to be included!
“But her passion, drive and energy shone through and one of her final acts in this Chamber was to ensure green fields were not rezoned in her beloved St. Saviour during the recent Bridging Island Plan debate. She leaves behind her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, her brother, her girls and her dog Jackson and our thoughts are with them at this sad time.
“Mèrcie bein des fais, à la prochaine.”
Mrs Le Sueur-Rennard’s funeral will take place next Tuesday, 3 May, at St Saviour’s Parish Church at 14:00.
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