Geva René
Geva René | |
|---|---|
| First Lady of Seychelles | |
| In office 5 June 1977 – 1992 | |
| President | France-Albert René |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Sarah Zarqani |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Geva Adam 30 October 1932 |
| Died | 11 May 2023 (aged 90) |
| Spouse(s) | Michel Savy (m. 1958–?; his death) |
| Children | 3 sons |
Geva René (née Adam; October 30, 1932[1] – May 11, 2023[2]) was a Seychellois educator, school administrator, and children's rights activist. She served as the inaugural First Lady of Seychelles from 1977 until 1992 as the second wife of President France-Albert René. René was also the longest serving first lady in the history of the Seychelles.[1][2][3][4]
Biography
Early life and career
René was born Geva Adam in Victoria, Seychelles, on October 30, 1932, to Louis Adam and Angela (née Uzice).[1][2] Her parents were from Praslin, the second largest island in the Seychelles.[2] The oldest of her parents' six children, her siblings include John Adam, a tennis player and former chairman of the Seychelles Tennis Association.[1] René spent much of her childhood living in the Outer Islands of the Seychelles, where he father worked as an island manager and administrator.[2]
Adam was homeschooled by her mother, a teacher, until she was 11-years-old.[2] She then enrolled in the Saint Joseph of Cluny Convent school in Victoria and completed her high school certificate.[2] She then received scholarship to study education and obtain a teaching license in the United Kingdom.[2]
Geva Adam returned to the Seychelles during the mid-1950s. where she pursued a career as a schoolteacher and administrator, including a tenure as the head teacher of the Seychelles College Primary and Modern School.[2] She also served as the principal and co-founder of the Teacher Training College, which opened in 1959.[1][2] Additionally, she helped establish the Seychelles International School.[4]
In 1958, Adam married Michel Savy, with whom she had three sons, David, Glenny, and Francis.[2]David Savy is a longtime executive at Air Seychelles, the country's national airline.[1] She returned to the United Kingdom in 1963 to complete more postgraduate studies in child psychology and education.[2]
First lady of Seychelles
In 1975, 43-year-old Geva Savy, a widow and mother of three, married France-Albert René, the second marriage for both.[4][5] The couple had no children together, but France-Albert René treated her three sons as his own.[5] Each of her sons eventually became executives in important entities within the Seychellois tourism industry, including roles at the Island Development Company, Air Seychelles, and the Seychelles Tourism Board.[5]
On June 4-5, 1977, her husband, then Prime Minister France-Albert René overthrew President James Mancham while he was traveling to the United Kingdom. Geva René became the first ever First Lady of Seychelles,[1] as founding President Mancham had been divorced during his presidency.
Geva René focused on issues related to education, children, and children's rights during her tenure as Seychelles' first lady.[2] She was the founder of several charitable organizations, including the National Council for Children (NCC), the Children's Ark, and the President's Village orphanage.[1][2][3]
She remained first lady for seventeen years from 1977 until her divorce from President France-Albert René in 1992, becoming the longest-serving first lady in the country's history.[1][2][4] She never remarried after her divorce.
Later life
René remained active with the National Council for Children (NCC), which she had established as first lady, until her retirement in 2011.[2][4]
Geva René died on May 11, 2023, at the age of 90.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Govinden, Gerard (2023-05-12). "Former First Lady Geva René dies at 90". Seychelles Nation. Archived from the original on 2025-08-29. Retrieved 2025-08-29.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Ernesta, Sheron (2023-05-12). "Seychelles mourns former First Lady Geva Rene: island girl, teacher, defender of children's rights". Seychelles News Agency. Archived from the original on 2025-04-17. Retrieved 2025-08-29.
- ^ a b Ernesta, Sheron (2023-05-22). "A woman who exuded love, compassion, and dedication to a great cause". Cosmocreole. Archived from the original on 2023-06-07. Retrieved 2025-08-29.
- ^ a b c d e "Les Seychelles pleurent l'ex-Première dame, Geva René". Réunion La Première (radio). 2023-05-12. Retrieved 2025-08-29.
- ^ a b c "France-Albert René obituary". The Times. 2019-03-06. Archived from the original on 2025-08-29. Retrieved 2025-08-29.