Prominent Tayside health charity benefactor Jean Stefani has died, aged 85.
Mrs Stefani donated £250,000 from the estate of her late husband to the Tayside Oncology Fund, which in 2002 resulted in the opening of the Ugo Stefani Clinical Trials Centre in his memory. Based in Ward 32 at Ninewells Hospital, it became a significant venue in the field of cancer research in Dundee.
She later donated £100,000 to Carnoustie Health Centre for the purchase of equipment to help stroke patients.
Mrs Stefani, who latterly lived in Carnoustie, was born Jean Inglis in Dundee, one of six daughters of Henry and Isabella Inglis, who ran a confectionery shop. She was educated at Rockwell School and went on to run a wool shop in Blackness Avenue with her sister Bunty.
Her husband’s family were originally from Sicily and settled in Perth, where they owned an ice cream parlour in South Street.
The Stefanis were married in 1964 and moved into property development. They bought houses in Dundee, Broughty Ferry, Monifieth and latterly Carnoustie, upgrading each one before selling and moving on to their next project.
They also built up a portfolio of about 50 flats in Dundee and abroad which they let to tenants.
The Stefanis constructed a successful property development business until 1996, when Ugo died of colon cancer.
His illness made Mrs Stefani acutely aware of the needs of people who required the help of the health service.
Her niece Muriel Marshall said: ”After Ugo’s illness and death she felt she wanted to do something to help other people suffering from cancer, so that was why she donated the money for the clinical trials centre in his name.
”Then about five years ago she decided she wanted to do more and donated the money to the health centre in Carnoustie. My aunt was a very generous person.”
Professor of cancer medicine Elaine Rankin said: ”Since it was established, the Ugo Stefani Clinical Trials Centre on Ward 32 has provided excellent facilities to allow us, with the help of patients in Tayside, to develop new effective treatments.
”We have been able to accelerate the use of new drugs to devise personalised therapies. These are tailored to the needs of the individual patient and targeted to their tumour. This means the treatment is more likely to work and to have fewer side-effects.
”The Ugo Stefani Trials Centre has enabled us to be at the forefront of research into new approaches to treatment.”