Abstract
To mark the recent passing of Vivienne Sullivan, who worked at the Institute for 36 years, we are republishing Viv’s account of her time at the Institute.
Vivienne was born in West London where she lived with her parents. At the age of 14, she worked as a Saturday sales assistant for Boots the Chemist. After completing her schooling, she joined the Institute of Measurement and Control on 2 July 1979. She recalls that the staff at the time were Edgar Eden (Secretary), Yvonne Blake, Mike Yates, Pat Glover, Diane Seymour, Peggy Crowley and Patricia Lynch, all then based at the Peel Street office in Notting Hill Gate. Vivienne has now completed a challenging and memorable 30 years with the Institute. She recalls that Mr Eden retired in 1983 and Allan Sensicle became Secretary. During this time, in November 1984, the Institute relocated from Peel Street to Gower Street. Allan Sensicle left in 1987 and Michael Yates then became Secretary until his retirement in 2008. A fond memory she has from Mr Eden’s time as Secretary was a staff Christmas lunch at the Belfry. She has seen various staff come and go during her 30 years – Celia Collins, Rosamund de Gama, Julia Vowler, Karen Whines, Emma Jones, Colin Carter, Claudie Plen – to name but some of them. Vivienne had started as an office clerk, and in 1981, helped to register the delegates for the Promecon ’81 Conference (Process Measurement & Control) which was held at the Wembley Conference Centre and organised by the Institute. Since then, she has progressed to undertaking aspects of the Institute accounts and the membership subscriptions. She now lives with her partner Peter and they have a 4-year-old daughter Hollie and a mad Jack Russell dog called Buddie. Her hobbies are reading, swimming and playing bingo. She helps to run a local community bingo on a Monday evening for some of the local residents in West London. We congratulate Vivienne and thank her for her long, meritorious, continuing service to the Institute, carried out always with cheerfulness and a ready smile.
Those of you who knew and worked with her will know that for the past 5 years, she had been suffering from cancer. Throughout this period, she faced her ordeal with considerable fortitude and an outward cheerfulness that touched many of us. Her friendship, loyalty and support will be greatly missed.
Underneath are just a few comments made by members of the Institute who had the pleasure of knowing and working with Vivienne over the last 36 years: A loyal and dedicated member of staff, Viv persevered in making the new membership database operationally effective. (Ron Fischbacher) She will be much missed by so many of us. Her courage over the last few months in particular has been truly humbling. (Colin Howard) The InstMS London Section have worked closely with Vivienne over the years and her passing will be a sad loss to the Institute. (Ian Craig) Viv was a wonderful person and a real asset to the Institute. It is a privilege to have known her. (Beverley Stanford)