Sandra Semple – a tribute from Claire Wright
Sandra Semple, who was Mayor of Seaton for three consecutive years a little over a decade ago, has died of cancer age 75, in Exeter where she and her husband James lived for the last few years. In line with her wishes, there will not be a funeral.
I will post a full appreciation in the next couple of days, but meanwhile these comments by Claire Wright speak for many of us:
“Sandra was a truly remarkable woman, from her career at the UN to being a mental health nurse.
“The impact she made in East Devon, mostly behind the scenes without glory will always be remembered by those of us who had trouble keeping up with her proliferation of blog posts, most of which were absolutely hilarious. She was certainly at the forefront of creating the tidal wave of awareness that ousted the Tories from their 40 year rule in East Devon.
“She was clever, great fun and hugely supportive to me, both professionally and personally. I often confided in her safe the knowledge that she was completely discreet and she always had a unique perspective to offer.
“It was Sandra who came up with Free to Speak. Free to Act which was so perfect and is now used by other indies as it encapsulated everything that was important about being indie!
“For the past year I haven’t been able to visit as she’s been too unwell but I did write to her in February thanking her from the bottom of my heart for everything she did to support me over the years.
“That she didn’t want a funeral is typical of Sandra’s no nonsense approach. Truly unconventional.”
Photo by Chrissie Evans.
Seaton & Colyton MATTERS 