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Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter Since 1995

Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

Since 1995

The NetLetter
 For Air Canada Retirees


July 29, 2010 - Special Vesta Memorial Issue


In Memoriam
Vesta Stevenson - January 6, 1928 - July 25, 2010
IN MEMORIAM
About Vesta
Services
Comments
Vesta 1st flight - 1948
Vesta First Flight - 1948
 
Terry & Vesta 2004
Vesta & Terry
 
Terry, Vesta, Alan - AGM2007
agm2007_150s.jpg
 
Vesta - 2007 AGM
Vesta 2007
 
ACFamily Obituaries
ACFN Obituaries
Greetings!

We are very sorry to have to inform you that we have lost our "Chief Pilot", Vesta Stevenson who passed away on Sunday, July 25, 2010. Vesta was 82 years old and was the founder of the NetLetter which was "her baby" which she started in October, 1995.

We knew that her health had deteriorated within the last year, but didn't know to what extent. Vesta was a very private person and didn't tell us that she was having health issues.

Evidently, she had a bad fall a month or so ago and then had complications in the hospital after having an operation. As a result of this, she suffered several mini strokes and finally passed away as the result of cardiac arrest. 
About Vesta
R.I.P. 
Vesta Stevenson
Vesta Stevenson worked for Trans-Canada Air Lines/Air Canada from 1953 to 1983 in the Computer Systems and Services department.
  • Her first exposure to the world of aviation was in 1946 when she was working for Liquid Carbonic in Montreal, a subcontractor for Canadair and they were manufacturing Ailerons for airplanes.
  • Her first short flight was in 1948, when Capt. Wm. Powell RAF, took her up in a Cessna from Toronto Island Airport. She loved it. (see photo at left)
  • In 1953, she applied for employment (anything) at Trans-Canada Air Lines and was hired as a 'Torn Tape Relay Operator' at Dorval Airport. Transat (ULX) and the world of Telecommunications and AIrline Operations opened up for her. She soon became a Radio-Teletype Operator.
  • By 1964, YULX was relocated at the new terminal in Montreal International Airport and soon Data Control was put on line as a substation on CN's 8l00 Radio Collins Computer which was located in Central Station downtown Montreal. She was then promoted to an Operator in Charge.
  • By 1971, she was relocated with YYZXNAC to 151 Front St., Toronto. Later her title changed to Network Controller.
  • In 1983, she accepted an early retirement package with 30 years full time shift work with the company under her belt, plus 15 more years in other employment. It was time to take it easy.
  • 1989 she decided to move to Victoria, B.C.
  • 1992 she bought her first IBM PC, and in
  • 1995 just before the Pionairs AGM in Vancouver, she came up with the idea of the creation of the 'Between Ourselves' NetLetter.
  • By 2007, Vesta, along with Terry Baker, had a mailing list of over 3000 other retirees for the NetLetter, and it has been publishing once a week since 2006 (it used to be twice a week).
  • By 2010, Vesta's idea had grown into the present day NetLetter List with over 5,000 subscribers. She will be greatly missed by her NetLetter colleagues and all her readers.
Services
Vesta had requested that no funeral or memorial services be held. She didn't even want an obituary published in a newspaper.

As far as we know, Vesta didn't have any family in Victoria. She never married so had no children.
Comments are welcome...
We have added Vesta's Obituary to the ACFamily Network and as far as we know, this will be the only place it will be posted (at her request).
 
We do welcome your comments, especialy those of you that had worked with Vesta in the past.
 
Please leave comments at: www.acfamily.net
 
The NetLetter will continue as before but we may take a break in the last few weeks of August. 
 
Sincerely,
 
Terry, Alan and Bill
Your NetLetter Team
 
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