#15524, Robin John SHEEPSHANKS

Content retrieved from obituaries in Eastern Daily Press and East Anglian Daily Times.

Robin Sheepshanks who has died aged 81 after an eighteen month battle with myeloma was involved in public service to the people of Suffolk in a career spanning four decades.  He was a member of the former East Suffolk County Council until 1964 when, following reorganisation, he joined the Suffolk County Council.

He was leader of the council from 1978 to 1981 and chairman for two years until 1984.  He was chairman of the Suffolk police committee from 1985 to 1993 and initiated the Sheepshanks Trophy in 1991 to reward outstanding service to the public by a member of Suffolk Police.  Capt. Sheepshanks also had close links with the then Prince Charles and was instrumental in setting up the Prince's Trust Suffolk committee.

Clarence House was quick to say that the Prince of Wales was very sad to hear of the death of Capt. Sheepshanks.  Many warm tributes followed;  Tony Coe, chief constable of Suffolk from 1989 to 1998 said he had known the Sheepshanks family for at least 20 years - he was a gentleman whose commitment to public service was exceptional.  He could always be relied upon for support in what were sometimes difficult situations.

Joanna Spicer, a police authority member said "I have never known anybody so committed to public service in Suffolk.  He has inspired me ever since. He did an enormous amount of things across Suffolk not least in the world of drugs and alcohol."  This is a reference to his establishment, with his wife, of the charity ASFAM (Aid for Families Affected by Drugs and Aids).

Rosemary Clarke, another member of the authority said "He was a delightful man - a real gentleman.  A lot of people locally will miss him enormously and I pay tribute to him."

Clifford Smith, Suffolk County Council's first chief executive said "He has made a massive contribution to Suffolk over the last 50 years.  As a personality you would use the words 'charming' and 'dignified' and he had an wonderful interest in other people.  Nothing was too much trouble for him.  All his work was voluntary.  He was an amateur in the best sense of the word."

Outside politics he was vice-chairman of East Coast Cable Ltd and chairman of trustees of the Felix Thornley Cobbold Agricultural Trust and Farlingaye High School.

As a young man he was commissioned into the King's Dragoon Guards with whom he retained close contact for the rest of his life. He retired to take up farming on land owned by his family on the Rendlesham Estate near his home at Eyke.  Helping fellow landowners he was chairman of the Suffolk branch of the Country Landowners' Association from 1969 to 1972.

His son David recounts that his father in his early 60s said to his head stockman on return from his holiday "Stanley, what did you think of Windsor Castle?"  "It'd tayke an aowrful lotta bricks t' build a funny ol' place loik 'at."