The place you hold is people’s hearts is more important that the tiles you held or the jobs you did.
I was very moved by the tribute paid at last night’s meeting of Quinte West Council to the late, great Sally Freeman, who passed away last month.
One by one, every member of council spoke fondly of Freeman as more than half prominently wore red, which everyone who knew Sally well could easily see was her signature colour.
As members of her family watched from the gallery, each member of Council took their time to honour her personally before placing a single rose in a vase in front of her empty seat.
Along with being described as one of the architects of amalgamation, and true community champion, the words “friend” and “colleague” were used more often than not, showing that her true impact was on a personal level.
You see Sally wasn’t just another elected representative, she was a giving and loving person who genuinely cared about the community and every single person she tried to help in whatever capacity she could.
In time, we will have to talk about who will take her seat around the horseshoe, though no one could ever replace Sally Freeman, but that can wait, as it should.
A Celebration of LIfe will be held at the Trent Port Marina on December 14th. There is no way it can possibly hold the number of people who will show up to honour Sally, whose impact meant so much more than the nameplate at her seat could ever represent.
I’m Paul Martin and that’s what I see looking Beyond the Headlines.
(PAUL MARTIN)
