The Stepdaughter of Sally Gunnee, who died following a road traffic collision on Wokingham Road in Reading on 23 November, has released the following tribute to her:
“My name is Sarah Vernon, Stepdaughter to Sally. I have known Sally over 20 years. She had a very happy and close relationship with my father, initially her boss and then as his wife.
“Our relationship continued after my father’s death in 2004. We became very close but we didn’t live in each other’s pockets. She never wanted children herself and we used to laugh that she ended up with me!
“She had to give up work to look after my father after he had a bad stroke. She never complained and was happy that they were finally together, disabled or not. It didn’t stop them going out and holidays abroad. She gave him another 10 years of full life and I will be forever be grateful to her.
“Sally continued her love of line dancing, horses (she was a member of the Elite Horse Fraternity) and visited stables all around the country either by herself or with a girlfriend.
“She was very generous with her time and often gave her friends presents for their grandchildren.
“She was very fit and wasn’t taking any medication except painkillers for an achy shoulder! She was very proud of that especially at 86!
“She never turned an invitation down and lived life to the full. She still had plenty on her bucket list to do.
“It is sad that her life ended this way. She still had so much to give and share. We will all miss her terribly but she is leaving us all with such fond memories to hold on to.
“RIP Sally – you are now with Ron your only true love.”
Sally’s friends have released the following tribute to her:
“Sally Gunnee sadly passed away on Thursday 24th November 2022 following a car accident the previous evening.
“Sally was a much loved and integral part of our line dancing club, Steps ‘n’ Stetsons, based in Lower Earley and Winnersh. She had danced with us for many years but was also well known in a much wider line dancing community as she frequently attended line-dancing socials and weekends further afield.
“Sally was a vivacious, fun-loving and very positive person and her life reflected these personality traits. “By profession, she was a nurse and she spent much of her career working abroad and even on cruise ships.
“Apart from line dancing, Sally’s interests included horse racing and she was a member of a racehorse owners club. She took a very keen interest in the development and success of the horses owned by the club, frequently visiting the various stables and becoming well known to the respective trainers (!). Her love of horses came second only to the cats that were ever present in her home.
“Above all, Sally was lovely friend who would do anything she could to help anyone. She will be so very much missed by all our dancers but we will all remember her enthusiasm and her ability to throw herself fully into all our activities, most memorably when she dressed up as a Christmas elf or, on St Patrick’s Day, an Irish leprechaun.
“Line dancing will not be the same without her but she has left us with such happy and special memories.”
