Percy Le Masurier, pictured far left, at a St Ouen senior citizens’ lunch

A FORMER Deputy of St Ouen, who typified Jersey’s hard-working spirit through his service in the States and toil on his land, has died at the age of 86.

Percy Le Masurier will be remembered as a man who devoted his life to serving his parish and his Island, both as a politician and a farmer.

He was born on 30 September 1923 at Manor Farm, St Ouen. The Constable of St Ouen, Ken Vibert, said that he remembered Mr Le Masurier as a forward-thinking farmer and that he was one of the first in the Island to have an automatic potato planter.

In 1943 Mr Le Masurier helped to form the Jersey Young Farmers’ Club but was too old to join by the time it was up and running. In the early 1950s he was instrumental in establishing a milk co-operative, and when the Jersey Milk Marketing Board was finally formed in 1955, he was one of the original board members, under the chairmanship of the late Cyril Le Vesconte. Mr Le Masurier took over as chairman in 1970 – a position he held until 1981.

He was involved, with the late Karl Jenson, in designing the Five Oaks Dairy, which was built in 1966, and negotiated contracts with Lyons Maid and forged links with the French dairy Carentan in Normandy. He was later invited to join AMICOLAIT (Friends of Milk), an association of retired French dairy executives.

Mr Le Masurier was always heavily involved with dairy farming in the Island

Me Le Masurier was a long-serving parish official in St Ouen, having been elected as a Constable’s Officer in 1950. After six years he replaced his late father as Vingtenier, before stepping down in 1962 because of work commitments.

In 1947 he married Beryl Annie Le Boutillier, of St John, and until they took on the lease at La Gabourellerie in 1953 they lived with his parents at La Pointe. They farmed at their new home until the death of Mr Le Masurier’s father in 1957, having one son, John, who later married Anne. The couple had three sons, Nicholas, Andrew and Robert, of whom Mr Le Masurier was very proud.

In 1987 he was elected as Deputy of St Ouen, going on to serve as vice-president of the Public Health Committee and the Education Committee. He also served on the Legalisation Committee and was president of the Cottage Homes Committee.

Mr Vibert said that when he joined the States in 1994, it quickly became apparent that Mr Le Masurier was held in high regard by his fellow Members and he was seen as a meticulous and hard-working man.

One of Mr Le Masurier’s proudest moments as Deputy came when he was invited to officially open the new extension at Les Landes School, where he had been a pupil.

He also served as a churchwarden at St George’s Church from 1964 to 1982 and was a member of the St George’s Church Club, acting as secretary, chairman and trustee over the years.

He also served as vice-president of the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society, as well as president of St Ouen Agricultural Society for 15 years.

He retired as Deputy in 1996 but retained an interest in parochial matters, attending parish assemblies and supporting the parish’s twinning with Coutance in Normandy in 1998.

Percy Le Masurier (seated) casts a critical eye over the entries at a cattle show, together with Noel Holley, standing

In 1991 Beryl Le Masurier died of leukaemia, leaving a huge void in her husband’s life. Mr Vibert remembers Mr Le Masurier saying how lonely it was coming back from States business to an empty house.

In 1993 he met Jan Ponter at church and they married that year, sharing 15 years together before she passed away in 2008.

Mr Le Masurier was a keen writer who penned articles for the Morning News, which closed in 1950. He would later write articles in Jèrriais for the Don Balleine and the Gris Ventre.

He was also an adjudicator for the Jèrriais section of the Eisteddfod and taught the language to schoolchildren. He was a keen sportsman, playing in goal for St Ouen FC and representing the Island at table tennis.

He and his father founded Vinchelez Sports Club, of which he was president from 1964 to 1978, when he became patron. He was also a follower of St Ouen FC and would present trophies at club dinners.

Mr Vibert said that Mr Le Masurier would be remembered as a wonderfully generous man who was always ready to listen and offer advice or assistance to anyone who needed it.

The JEP extends its sympathy to his family.