Former tourism president dies
A FORMER politician who served the States for 21 years died recently at the age of 85.
Richard Ozanne was elected as a St Peter Port deputy in April 1973 and was a conseiller from February 1979 to April 1994.
He was on the Tourist Board throughout his political career and was president from September 1978.
During his tenure the board sponsored the London Boat Show at Earls Court, where a model of the castle lighthouse sat in the central lake with a replica of Aurigny’s Joey flying above.
Mr Ozanne was also instrumental in bringing international powerboat racing to Guernsey. ‘He was a great ambassador for Guernsey and he worked very hard to get visitors here,’ said his brother, former deputy Martin Ozanne.
‘Tourism was flourishing at the time and there were more than 200 hotels, guest houses and the likes registered.’
Mr Ozanne served on the Board of Administration between January 1974 and April 1978 and for more than two years he sat on the Elizabeth College board of directors.
In the 1970s he sat on Sea Fisheries and was on the Island Reception Committee from May 1979 to April 1990.
Towards the end of his political career he was on Population and Migration between 1985 and 1990 and on the Guernsey Transport Board from 1987.
He was a hotelier by profession and in the early 1960s took over the running of White Gables, at New Road, Forest, which his father had started before the war. Eventually it became The Mallard.
Prior to his time in the States, he started public service with his involvement with the Forest douzaine.
He also served as president of the Guernsey Hotel and Tourist Association, was chairman of St James in the 1990s and president of The Guernsey Round Table.
In his leisure time he played rugby and water polo for Guernsey, was a keen swimmer and boater, and raced cars in hill climbs at Le Val des Terres.
n Mr Ozanne’s funeral is at St Saviour’s Parish Church tomorrow at 11am.
