Lisa Rolland, the school board trustee for the Carlin/Sorrento area, died Dec. 30 of an aggressive form of cancer.
Rolland was re-elected for a third term to the position on the School District #83 board in the Nov. 19 municipal elections.
Board chair Bobbi Johnson had worked with Rolland for the six years she spent on the board.
“We are devestated by Lisa’s loss. She was a hardworking trustee who cared deeply for the welfare of our school district’s students,” she said.
“As the trustee for Carlin/Sorrento she was very involved with those two schools on a regular basis. She had a special place in her heart for children who were struggling in school and worked to ensure that the board was aware of the issue and doing whatever it could to help these students.”
Johnson told the Observer she wanted to pay tribute to her friend and colleague.
“In Lisa’s honour, and because of her deep desire to help all children learn to read, a children’s literacy fund with the Shuswap Community Foundation, which was started last year by Bobbi and Joe Johnson and has been gaining momentum ever since, was recently renamed the Lisa Rolland Children’s Literacy Fund.”
The family is asking that any memorial contributions be directed to this fund.
There is no word yet on when a by-election to fill the Sorrento/Carlin seat will take place.
Rolland is survived by her husband and two school-aged daughters.
A memorial service will be held Jan. 7 at 3:30 p.m. at the Bowers Funeral Home Chapel.