Belleville City Council held a moment of silence for former councillor Kay Manderville at its meeting on Monday.
Manderville passed away on January 7, at the age of 90 following a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease.
She served as a councillor for Belleville from 1988 to 2003 and was a school board trustee before that.
Belleville Mayor Neil Ellis spoke of her passing in a statement to council.
“She served on several committees, including Planning, Heritage, and the Social Services Committee to establish the Parrott Riverfront Trail, downtown improvement area and several culture exchanges. Her involvement in our community was far reaching and the impacts of her time on council can still be seen today,” Ellis told council.
“Her legacy will continue to be honoured at the Lions Park pedestrian bridge where it was named after her in 2020 and we will never forget her dedication and commitment to our community and on behalf of City Council, I extend my sincere condolences to Kay’s family and loved ones during this time.”
Councillor Garnet Thompson also spoke about Manderville, discussing some of the lessons he learned from her on how to be a councillor.
“One thing she always said to me (was) never say never. Always said that to me, never say never,” Thompson said speaking to council.
“Never have a dumb question, because there’s no such thing as a dumb question. As a councillor, your job as a councillor is to do the best job. She spent 15 years as a councillor on a continuous basis, never being defeated, and she was always number one. That’s the lady she was, and that’s the lady we need to always remember by.”
Visitation will be held at Burke Funeral Home (150 Church Street, Belleville) on Friday, January 17 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
A Celebration of Life will follow at Eastminster United Church (432 Bridge St E, Belleville) on Saturday, January 18 at 2 p.m.
