Tribute has been paid to Dundee woman Patricia Stevenson, known as Pat, who has died aged 87.
Pat was awarded the OBE in 1994 for her services to the Children’s Panel Advisory Committee. This capped a life devoted to education, advocacy, and social justice.
Born on June 3 1937, and raised in Mid Craigie, Dundee, Pat came from humble beginnings.
Her mother worked as a jute spinner and her father as a boilermaker.
While she started at Mid Craigie Infant School, she ended up going to Clepington School after her parents “lied” to the education authorities.
They said she was going to be looked after by her grandparents in Clepington Street.
Their logic, her daughter Evelyn says, was they thought that Clepington School would give her a “better start” at a time when Mid Craigie was “looked down on”.
Pat would go on to shine at Morgan Academy, becoming dux in economics and consistently placing top of her class.
What did Pat Stevenson do after she left Morgan Academy?
After leaving school, Pat took up a clerical job at Telephone House on Ward Road.
She worked her way up to executive officer and advanced to the National Assistance Board. There, she became known locally as the “means test woman”.
In 1958, she married Ian Stevenson, whom she had met as a fellow pupil at Morgan Academy.
Ian would go on to become Professor of Pharmacology and Vice-Principal at the University of Dundee.
The couple spent a brief time in Boston, Massachusetts. They then settled back in Dundee to raise their two daughters, Evelyn and Jane.
This coincided with Ian being offered a lectureship back in Dundee.
In the mid-1960s, Pat returned to education herself. She studied politics and economics at Dundee University before training as a primary school teacher at Dundee College of Education.
She taught P7s at Fintry Primary School and provided learning support at St Saviour’s and Menzieshill high schools and at Liff Hospital children’s unit.
Pat Stevenson’s career was as diverse as it was impactful
Pat later worked as a student counsellor at Dundee University and then spent eight years as an advocacy worker with Barnardo’s.
Her most lasting contribution, however, was through her involvement with the Children’s Panel system in Scotland.
Joining in 1972, shortly after it was established, she eventually served as chairperson of the Children’s Panel Advisory Committee. She helped to shape policy and improve outcomes for vulnerable children across the country.
Her daughter Evelyn described her as “passionate about helping people who were facing challenges to fulfil their potential,” and said her mother never forgot the classmates she left behind in Mid Craigie.
“She said very late in life that she always felt guilty about having a better chance than her Mid Craigie classmates,” said Evelyn.
“She wondered how different her life might have been had she stayed there, as she thought that at that time Mid Craigie was kind of looked down on.
“Seeing people who didn’t have much of a chance in life – that definitely influenced her in the years that followed.”
Pat Stevenson was known for her style
Known for her warmth, hospitality, and sense of style, she favoured a Mary Quant look in her younger years. Pat was also a beloved matriarch.
With her husband, she regularly hosted students, friends, and family for large, lively dinners.
She loved travelling the world, with fond memories of time spent in Japan, the USA, South America, and Zimbabwe.
Following Ian’s death in 2005, Pat moved to Edinburgh in 2007 to be near her daughters and grandchildren – Sophie, Ruby, and Gene. She was a devoted and doting gran.
Messages from across the community have described her as “always supportive” and “someone who looked out for others”.
Evelyn said will be remembered not only for her public service but also for her compassion and unwavering belief in the potential of every person she encountered.
Pat Stevenson, who passed away peacefully on April 11 2025 in Elsie Inglis Nursing Home, Edinburgh, is survived by her daughters Evelyn and Jane and grandchildren Sophie, Ruby and Gene.
She is predeceased by her husband Ian and her brothers Tom and Frank.
She was also a cherished aunt, cousin and friend to many.
Her funeral is being held at Dundee Crematorium on Sunday April 27 at 12.30 pm, with a gathering to follow at the Invercarse Hotel. All friends and family are welcome.
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