Tributes to four-time mayor ‘who loved Bognor Regis with a passion’

Tributes to have been made to a four-time mayor of Bognor Regis who ‘loved the town with passion’.
Sylvia Olliver was made an alderman after stepping down from Arun District Council in 2011Sylvia Olliver was made an alderman after stepping down from Arun District Council in 2011
Sylvia Olliver was made an alderman after stepping down from Arun District Council in 2011

Sylvia Olliver served as a Lib Dem and then an independent at Arun District Council for both the Marine and Bersted wards, was a county councillor for Bersted and also served on Bersted Parish Council and Bognor Regis Town Council.

She died after a long illness last Thursday aged 88.

A minute’s silence was held at an Arun meeting on Wednesday night (March 13).

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Long-time Lib Dem James Walsh said: “Sylvia was a well respected and much loved member of the Bognor Regis community. She was passionate and something of a historian of Bognor Regis.

“She was a great asset to this authority, the town council and the local community. She will be greatly missed.”

Gill Brown, leader of Arun, described Sylvia as a friend of hers for more than 30 years.

She said: “She loved Bognor Regis with a passion and everything she did was for the benefit of the town and its residents.”

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She described how Sylvia had written several books on the history of Bognor Regis and Chichester, while she and her husband Ken had celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary several months ago.

Jim Brooks, an independent district and town councillor, described how Sylvia was a writer, poet and keen historian.

She was persuaded to join local politics due to a threat to Bognor Regis Town Hall.

He described her love for New Orleans traditional jazz and how her donated collections of town postcards and memorabilia would ‘keep her spirit alive’.

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Her funeral service will be held at St Mary Magdalene Church, South Bersted on Tuesday March 26 at 12pm. Bright colours to be worn at Sylvia’s request.

Family flowers only but donations to St Wilfrid’s Hospice may be sent c/o Reynolds Funeral Service, 31 High Street, Bognor Regis, PO21 1RR Tel: 01243 864745 or via www.reynoldsfunerals.co.uk