Tribute to Suselle Boffey
Suselle at LCiL’s AGM in 2013
It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Suselle Boffey on Thursday 14th of July 2016. Suselle was a LCiL Board Member for many years and an activist of Independent Living. Suselle has always been part of our life and fully engaged with the opportunities and challenges that LCiL has embraced over the years. We loved to hear about her adventures abroad, her life of many friendships and her well known love for the Edinburgh Book Festival here in Edinburgh. We also knew and respected how much her faith meant to her in guiding her many commitments. We are all sad and will miss her. We would like to thank Suselle for sharing with us her love of life and for being a living example of what Independent Living is all about.
For those who would like to share their own memories and tributes to Suselle there is a comments box below .
Suselle was a great source of inspiration to disabled people who wanted to get out and see the world,nothing stopped her travelling to even hard to reach destinations.
I really enjoyed her Christmas parties in July! I will miss her warm friendship and advice.
Suselle was a star.
Very sad news
John Ballantine
Fellow Board member of LCIL
I met Suselle many times at events and conferences over the last 15 years. She was always a source of wisdom and shared her passion and intelligence widely in support of all disabled people. Very sad news.
Suselle was a friend, a colleague and my boss as the chairperson of SPAEN for while.
She was a very fair and principled person. Her Christmas Card and the enclosed ‘review of her year’ was something special. Yes very special, but what else would you expect because she was a very special lady. I’ll never forget her.
I first had the pleasure of meeting Suselle 16 years ago. I was in hospital after a sudden illness left me paralysed. No one seemed to know, myself included, what kind of support I could have.
Fortunately, I was introduced to LCIL who asked Suselle if she could speak to me about the option of employing my own PAs. It sounded like a daunting task but when Suselle arrived, along with PA Mandy, and explained how it worked for her, the good and the not so good bits, me, and my wife, were sold on the idea. It’s no understatement to say that this first meeting with Suselle changed my life.
As the years have gone by I have never stopped being impressed by the energy and enthusiasm that Suselle had for life. Her dedication to the Independent Living Movement, her love of travel, her compassion for others, her dry wit and wise counsel – just a few of the qualities Suselle possessed – she will be sorely missed – but not forgotten.
Suselle and I first met in the mid-70s. She was an undergraduate and I a post-grad at the Dept of Social Administration and Social Work at Edinburgh University. Then we next met when she was in charge of direct payments in Edinburgh and I was in charge of the same in Glasgow. Finally we were both founder members of SPAEN. She had a determined business head on her shoulders and was quick to analyse and resolve issues. She was a great founding block of the independent living movement in Scotland, and will be regrettably missed, not just for this, but as a warm humane lady with a big big personality
I first met Suselle with her friend Wilma Lawrie at the Heart and Soul event in Edinburgh two years ago, proving that her faith would over ride all personal health difficulties, that meeting brought me great personal strength – not because we were both disabled, but because we believed in the One God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. RIP Suselle your going to be our maker and isnt that a wonderful thought. God Bless Yvonne x ps I promise will keep in contact with our friend Wilma too !
Very sad news. Suselle was like the mother bee at LCIL having been a consistent presence since the concept of independent living was devised.
I first met Suselle in the days of Ecas House at Simon Square in Edinburgh. Where the Disablement Income Group had an office with Margaret Blackwood at the helm. Suselle and I had a chat about a better more healthy lifestyle for people in wheelchairs, needing independent care at home, than in a home. As I got to know her more I found a gentle, professional lady with a lovely sense of observation and wry sparky humour. I liked her compassionate approach to life too, as she was always considerate and was a listening to be helpful person to others, like her mother. I wish her well in her next life where a good samaritan shall fit in very well indeed.
Hi Jim,
Glad to see your nice tribute to Suselle. Like you she crossed the gulf between professional experts and the disabled. I think that has probably helped our Independent Living Movement in Scotland quite a lot over the years.
Wishing you well,
Archie 🙂
I met Suselle in 1991 when LCIL was being set up by the Lothian Coalition of Disabled People. Throughout my time at LCIL she was a fantastic support to me and the staff, always a breath of fresh air, always full of innovative ideas and solutions and a great ambassador for many disabled people wanting to live independently. She led by example and provided that much needed bridge between the bureaucracy of Social Work and the real world. I also loved following her many journeys with Mandy and bumping into her every year at the Book Festival. A great personality who will be sorely missed.
I met Suselle only last year and had the privilege to become her PA for a while. Suselle had so many beautiful qualities in her. So enthusiastic about many things and always thinking about others which was very touching. Also very much strong and determined being, ready to stand up and fight for the right thing. Within the year and half I have worked for Suselle I have seen and experienced so many cultural and other unusual events, met so many lovely people and got to know a lot of coffee shops where we would have a deep conversation and share shortbreads:)One would hardly keep up with her lifestyle. She was such a good and fair boss on the top. Thank you! Will never forget.. 🙂