Vesta Stevenson - January 6, 1928 - July 25, 2010 - We are very sorry to have to inform you that we have lost our "Chief Pilot", of The NetLetter, 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" that 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 the result of this, suffering several mini strokes and finally passed away as the result of cardiac arrest.
  
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.
• 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 YYZXNAC she was relocated 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 '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).

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, she didn't have any family in Victoria. She never married, so has no children.

We invite you to leave comments below if you wish, especially from anyone that knew Vesta personally.