Tributes paid to ex-mayoress Val
“We were very poor growing up and it’s quite a thought, us being able to be the mayor and mayoress when we were just two ordinary people – we just thought our mother and father would have been so proud.”
Born in Southwick in 1938, Val was the oldest of four sisters and daughter of Jackie, a boilermaker, and Peggy, a cleaner.
Norma remembers ‘great Sundays’ at her parents house, with food and political discussion.
And although Val was not tempted to follow her sister into city politics, she threw herself into her civic duties as mayoress.
After marriage in 1958 she lived in Seaburn and had three children, Michele, Gary and Stuart, before the family moved to Scotland, but returned to Wearside briefly before moving on again, this time to Malta.
In the 1980s they moved to Ibiza, where Val ran a moped and motorbike hire business, but before the end of the decade she had moved back to the North East, settling in Whitburn and working as a care assistant.
In 2018 she was diagnosed with cancer, which sister Norma said she was ‘courageous’ in dealing with, and died at home on Tuesday, July 14, aged 81 and is survived by her children, six grandchildren and a great grandson.
Current Mayor, Coun David Snowdon, said: “We were all very saddened to hear of Valerie’s death and our deepest sympathies have gone to Norma, all her family and her many friends.
“Working alongside Norma, Valerie was a marvellous ambassador at the dozens of events they both attended during their Mayoral year.
“People always speak fondly of these events and, instead of two charities, they chose to support and raise funds for three.
“The SAFC Foundation and mental health charity Sunderland and Washington MIND all benefited from their support and hard work, and they were big supporters of the work that Brothers in Arms was undertaking to build the Memorial Wall next to our city’s War Memorial.
“We can be very proud of Valerie. She will be sadly missed.”
Val’s funeral is tomorrow, 11.30am at Sunderland Crematorium.