The Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE) is greatly saddened to announce the death of our dear colleague and friend Cheryl Conner on 30 May 2024.
Cheryl, was CASE Administrator from 2010 to 2019, returning to the role in September 2022. She was a much loved member of the team, who will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
Cheryl graduated from the LSE with a BSc in Social Policy in 2010 at the age of 30. She was incredibly proud of her achievement, having gone to university as a mature student. She followed this degree with a Masters in Social Policy and Planning in 2013. Cheryl worked alongside her part-time studies, first joining CASE in 2010 as John Hills’ Personal Assistant. She stayed at CASE for nine years, only leaving following a move to the Midlands in 2019 and a desire to work more directly with people experiencing disadvantage. She had several different roles following her departure from CASE, including as a Community Support Worker for North Warwickshire Borough Council during the COVID-19 pandemic, playing an important keyworker role ensuring older people were kept safe in their own homes. But she never stopping missing LSE (and we never stopped missing her). It seemed fortuitous that when the incumbent CASE administrator left in 2022, Cheryl was also ready to return and immediately applied for the role of Centre Administrator. She was without doubt the most qualified and most enthusiastic applicant to be interviewed for the role bringing a wealth of experience and lots of new ideas. We were thrilled to welcome her back to the team and she picked up the role like she’d never left, making an immediate positive impact on the Centre and the CASE / STICERD admin office.
The work of CASE and of the LSE generally is not possible without the huge effort put in by its professional services staff, and Cheryl was at the core of CASE’s academic and social life. Cheryl was often the first person someone would meet in CASE, and she made everyone feel welcome and part of our community.
Cheryl was a key part of the joint CASE-STICERD admin teams that share an office in the Sir Arthur Lewis building, always on hand to offer support, advice, charm the printer, and do the literal heavy lifting. She was always up for a cup of tea and chat about the commute or share pictures and stories of her beloved pets. Cheryl was highly organised, creative, with a special interest in graphic design, and always kind and generous; a combination that endeared her to academics, researchers, professional services staff, and students alike. Cheryl was also very clever and astute, and able to share valuable takes and insights on CASE’s research. She created a huge following on CASE’s social media and was responsible for ensuring that CASE’s seminars and special events were well attended, as well as looking after speakers and ensuring the technology ran smoothly (no mean feat!).
Outside of work, Cheryl loved spending time with close friends and family, including her parents and brother, was a devoted aunty to her young nephew, and would delight in sharing stories about the adventures of her rescue cat, Tommy. She was a strong advocate of LGBTQ+ organisations and social justice causes. She enjoyed caravanning, playing with old cars and working out how to keep them running, art, trips to the seaside, being a quarter Danish, and European pop.
Cheryl took such pride in being part of CASE and the LSE, and we feel hugely privileged to have had her as both a colleague and a friend. She will be deeply missed.
Rest in peace mate ❤️💔
Rest in peace Cheryl. 💔
So shocked and sad to hear the news. Rest in peace Cheryl 💔
A lovely, lovely woman who had so much to offer. Rest in peace Cheryl
I’m so saddened of the news of Cheryl’s passing my condolences to her family and friends, rest easy Cheryl gone far to soon 💔
A beautiful person inside and out. My thoughts & condolences to your family and many friends. I will miss you so much buddy & think of you with love always. Number 43 forever xxx
Cheryl’s sense of humour and warmth were so special and will be greatly missed. Her kindness was a real comfort on my first day in CASE. I was incredibly nervous but she had a wonderful way of putting you at ease. This is such a huge loss. My thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends and colleagues x
Cheryl was such an amazing person and a lovely colleague. Gone too soon. We will miss you Cheryl. RIP
Cheryl, intelligent ,bubbly, massive personality , and great sense of humour, just a beautiful human being all round, I feel privileged to have yet you ..May you find peace my lovely .
We tried to write a list of the things that Cheryl handled as CASE administrator to help her successor in that post but quickly discovered the list ran to several pages AND was incomplete. It was incomplete because one of the most crucial things that Cheryl contributed to CASE was simply being Cheryl: her warmth spread out in all directions and gladdened us, her vitality lit up every conversation, her inclusiveness made everyone feel welcome.
We will do our utmost to honour your memory, dear Cheryl, by continuing your good work. xxx
I’m so grateful to have been friends with Cheryl. She was so warm and kind – she made me feel so comfortable when I first started working at CASE which was my first proper job. And she went out of her way to help – she spent so long helping me print my PhD thesis and check every page before I submitted it – taking time out of her own work to help me get it done in time. Having a chat with Cheryl in the kitchen whilst making a tea or over lunch would lift my mood immediately – she made CASE a great place to work.
But most of all when I think about Cheryl I think about her laugh (I can still hear it in my head) and her smile and how much fun she was to be around. She made work days and events so much more enjoyable and I have so many great memories of the fun we had outside of work too – dinners and drinks, rebel bingo, marching for women’s rights, celebrating international women’s day, staying in Brighton for my 30th birthday, the holiday in Menorca for her 40th birthday – she always brought such positive, friendly and light-hearted energy which made spending time with her so enjoyable and has given me so many happy memories with her.
I’m sending lots of love to Cheryl’s family and to everyone whose life was touched by Cheryl and is now feeling the huge loss of no longer having her around. I hope she has found the peace she so much deserves. xxx
I knew Cheryl very well over a long period as she was John’s (Hills) PA. She used to come to our house regularly. She was always very sweet, kind, and helpful. It is a huge loss to us all that she is not with us anymore.
Cheryl – a precious colleague, a beautiful human being. RIP Cheryl. Heaven is a better place.
My condolences go to Cheryl immediate family and loved ones. She was such a passionate and worker with the LSE and dedeciated her short life in serving the interests of the disadvantaged. We will surely missed her.
All the best,
Raul.