Remembering long time alderman Sue Higgins
Posted Feb 22, 2014 4:15 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
An iconic Calgary alderman was on the hearts and minds of many Saturday as about 600 people gathered at St. Cecilia’s Roman Catholic Church for the funeral of Sue Higgins.
Suzanne Grace Higgins died last weekend at the age of 78 after a long battle with cancer.
The “Battle Hymn of the Republic” played as pallbearers and those in honorary positions, including Police Chief Rick Hanson, and Deputy Fire Chief Ken Uzeloc, led the closing procession.
Former Calgary Mayor Al Duerr served during the 21 years Higgins was in council and said though they didn’t always see eye to eye, Higgins had a heart of gold.
“I think she challenged me every second or third council meeting on some procedural issue and it did force me to study it well,” said Duerr. “She’s going to be missed by a lot of people and she made a huge contribution to the city.”
A quote from Higgins herself was read out during the special mass, “I never did give anybody hell, I just told the truth and they thought it was hell.”
With a chuckle, current Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi said it was something he agrees with completely.
Nenshi said it was touching to hear about Higgins’ life outside of council as well.
“The story is legendary of how she lost her husband and she continued on in this job, the crazy punishing hours in this job and three daughters,” said Nenshi.
Surviving family thanked the city of Calgary and all Calgarains for giving Higgins the chance to pursue politics as it was something she had had a passion for since she was a young girl.
Nenshi said Higgins chose the dog park along Southland Drive to be named after her because she was initially against the development until the community convinced her otherwise and she hoped it would remind Calgarians that even she could change her mind.
