Dr Stevenson, known as Markita to her friends and colleagues died on August 4th at Cross Park Residential Home where she had spent the last 2 years following a fall at home.
Dr Stevenson was born in Corfu in 1927 the youngest daughter of a local headmaster. She was a creative and academic child and always wished to travel. At just 18 she obtained a scholarship to study Nursing at Derby Royal Infirmary with only 4 other girls and remained in the UK since.
Having trained successfully in Midwifery Margarita realised her passion was to do more and accepted a place at St Bartholomew's to Study her First MB before moving to Charing Cross to complete her clinical training. She was a highly driven young woman with a captivating smile and a friendly fiestyness that those who knew her will remember well.
She married and had 2 children and was devoted to them. Her family commitments made taking a substantive hospital post difficult and despite completing her training in Obstetrics and gynaecology she took some time out of hospital medicine working at Holloway Prison for some years as Head of women’s services. It was here in the 1970s that she was pivotal to the development of Holloways innovative mother and baby unit. She then worked in the home office until in 1982 she returned to full time clinical medicine. She had an Honorary Consultant contract at Westminster hospital and later Chelsea and Westminster hospital and ran a busy private practice from her home in Chelsea from 1982 until she retired in 2003.
Dr Stevenson was an active member of the Apothecaries Society, and in 2004 arranged a historical tour of her home Island of Corfu for a group of colleagues and their spouses.
Since retiring she became involved with the Harveian society archiving documents and joined the Ionian Society where she enjoyed many fun evenings. She also enjoyed attending Wigmore Hall and many lectures at the Royal Society of Medicine.
Medicine was always her passion only shared by her love for her children, David and Olivia and in recent years her 3 grandchildren whom she adored.
In latter years she joined the congregation at St Simon Zelotes on Milner Street in Chelsea. She gained much companionship and support from the congregation there and it is here that a memorial service was held for her on September 26th.
Her vivaciousness, her determination, her compassion and her good humour will be our memory of her.