A political juggernaut in Belleville has passed away.
Quinte News has learned that Kay Manderville has died.
Manderville served as a Councillor for Belleville from 1988 to 2003.
Her achievements included bringing the Parrott Riverfront trail to life.
A plaque by the river was unveiled and the footbridge over the river was named in her honour in 2020. She spoke to Quinte News at the event.
“I really enjoyed council. It was very interesting. Yeah, it was hard work and there were lots of ups and downs but it was good, it was good.”
She was the Chair for the committee that oversaw the trail.
She served on other committees, including planning, heritage, social services and downtown improvement, along with the cultural exchanges with Lahr, Germany and Gunpo, South Korea.
Long-time City Councillor Garnet Thompson had Kay Manderville as his Campaign Manager for two campaigns
He tells Quinte News and says he always wanted to serve the community the way Kay did.
“She was a very dedicated person to this city. She always said I never wanted to be Mayor, I wanted to be a Councillor.”
Thompson says her dedication was unmatched.
“That lady did more for this city then most people will ever remember. She worked full-time, drove to Kingston, professor for years, but had the dedication to our municipality. That’s unbelievable.”
Manderville taught Anatomy at Queen’s University for 27 years and was a School Board Trustee.
Belleville Mayor Neil Ellis says he success stemmed from her incredible work ethic.
“Some of the projects, such as the waterfront trail, partnered in a lot of things. I know she was very good with constituents, addressing their problems and out in the community. She always worked and even after council, she did a lot of volunteering work in the community.”
Selma Bochnek served as a Belleville Alderman and Councillor during Manderville’s entire tenure.
“I think she had the same feeling as myself. We were there to help the community, not help ourselves. That’s the first thing I thought of. Always have wanted to make a difference and I know Kay did too. Her strength were interest in the community and just wanting to make a difference.”
She was awarded a lifetime membership to the Belleville Agriculture Society and in 2019 was awarded the Notable Woman Award by the National University Women’s Association.
She and husband Gene Manderville (Doctor) were married for 65-years and settled in Belleville in 1965.
They had four children Peter, Kathleen, Richard, and Ken, along with 10 grandchildren, and their 6 great grandchildren.
Celebration of Life details have not been released.
(l-r) Kay Manderville, Garnet Thompson, Pat Culhane, and Mitch Panciuk in 2020
