Civic funeral to be held in honour of former Hartlepool councillor Jean Kennedy

A civic funeral will be held in honour of former councillor Jean Kennedy
Jean Kennedy.Jean Kennedy.
Jean Kennedy.

Coun Kennedy represented the Stranton ward in the town for two years from May 2004 to May 2006.

A civic funeral will be held at 10am on Thursday, July 4, at St Joseph’s RC Church.

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Paying tribute to her, Hartlepool Mayor Councillor Brenda Loynes, said: “We were very saddened to hear about the death of Jean and our thoughts are with her family and friends.

“Although we came from different political backgrounds, I got on very well with Jean and we always worked together for the good of the town.”

Over the years she was a prominent campaigner for the Hartlepool Save Our Hospital campaign which aimed to keep emergency services open at the University Hospital of Hartlepool.

She was also well known for being involved in the campaign against the arrival of former French naval carrier Le Clemenceau, which was set to sail to Hartlepool to be dismantled.

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But the ship contained around 700 tonnes of asbestos-contaminated material, causing environmentalists to campaign that it remain in France.

Coun Kennedy campaigned against the plan as part of environmental group Friends of Hartlepool, which was formed in 2003 specifically to fight the plans against the Ghost Ships arrival from the US.

Hartlepool firm Able UK won the contract to scrap the ship, with work starting in 2009 and finishing in 2010.

Campaigners said asbestos on board would damage the environment and the health of workers, but the Environment Agency reportedly said it had rigorous controls in place.

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Hartlepool hospital campaigner and founder of the Town of Hartlepool Facebook group, Derrick Rowbotham also paid tribute to Coun Kennedy.

He said: “I am sorry to learn that lovely lady Jean Kennedy, whom I had the pleasure to meet on occasions and was also a councillor for Stranton, has passed away.

“Jean was a great help with Save Our Hospital and did a lot of research regarding the land.

“Condolences to her family, I for one will never forget the effort that Jean and others put in to help our cause. RIP Jean x.”