Former deputy and ‘man of the sea’ dies aged 89
Former deputy Peter Bougourd died this week at the age of 89.
Mr Bougourd was a deputy for almost 20 years, serving St Sampson’s from 1985 to 2004.
As well as a deputy, he was a steadfast member of the RNLI, volunteering for more than 25 years.
In 1981 he was awarded a Bronze RNLI medal for the courage and skill he showed during the rescue of the Bonita, a large Ecuadorian vessel that began listing heavily in the middle of the English Channel in winds gusting to hurricane force 12 and 50ft waves.
During three-and-a-half hours of darkness and bitter cold, the lifeboat he served on as second coxswain rescued 29 people.
John Webster, who served alongside him, and also received a medal for that night, said that his friend had been a true gentleman.
‘He was a hard-working family man,’ he said.
‘If you pulled your finger out and worked hard, he was easy to get on with.’
A well-known and respected fisherman, in later years Mr Bougourd ran a fishmongers on the Bridge, where Fletcher Sports is now.
Deputy Lyndon Trott knew him from both inside and outside of the States Chamber.
‘I first met Peter when I was a boy when I worked on a fishing vessel that fished alongside his boat – the Tel-mor,’ he said.
‘He was a first-class shell fisherman and a stalwart of Guernsey’s fishing industry at his peak. We met again a few years later when I stood for election. Peter was a sitting deputy in St Sampson’s and, despite being a competitor for a seat, he was hugely supportive and generous to me.
‘After that election we sat together on the Board of Administration, and I saw at first hand the politics of a real hard-working genuine Guernseyman.’
Mr Bougourd lost his father, a policeman, during the Occupation when the White Rock was bombed by the Luftwaffe.
‘That was something that had affected him quite significantly and understandably,’ said Deputy Trott.
‘He was a real man of the sea and a brilliant lifeboat coxswain, highly respected not least for his bravery but also his seamanship. He was quite simply one of Guernsey’s real characters and I shall miss him.’
Deputy John Gollop remembered Mr Bougourd as a man of total integrity and transparency.
‘He was a gentleman of the States, very courteous, he didn’t go in for machinations. He was a loss to the States when he left but very few members complete six terms of service.
‘He was a very popular man, with a unique sense of humour. He said once: "I don’t change my mind, I just get better ideas’’.'
