Popular face of Maggie’s Centre in Aberdeen, Kevin Mathieson, has died aged 52 after a cancer diagnosis.
His wife of 24 years says the death of the dad-of-three has left the family “heartbroken” with “a huge gap” in their hearts.
The former Macmillan nurse and previous head of cancer services at CLAN became centre head at Maggie’s Aberdeen in 2018.
Maggie’s was his dream
Born in Aberdeen, Kevin attended Robert Gordon’s College and then studied at Robert Gordon University. Before joining the team at Maggie’s he had also managed a care home and trained as a community specialist nurse.
Dad to Jacob, Caitlin and Molly, his wife Jinette paid tribute to her husband.
“Even though Kevin had been unwell for some months his death is still heart-breaking,” she said.
“Kevin cared hugely for his family and was incredibly proud of his children. He had always been committed to supporting people and their families with cancer, and being the centre head at Maggie’s was his dream job.
“There is a huge gap in our hearts but the incredible messages are amazing, he would never have believed it.”
Clear dedication to others
On his own Facebook page Kevin described his passion: caring for people – especially those journeying through cancer.
He wrote: “For the majority of my career I have worked with people with cancer, with a focus on palliative care.”
This, and working in hospices around the country, meant Maggie’s found a real asset for their centre, Aberdeen’s cancer patients and those who love them.
Kevin added: “Coming to Maggie’s, my experience enabled me to speak to visitors knowledgeably… I can offer both emotional and practical advice based on my previous work.”
Devastating news
His dedication to this field of work made his own cancer diagnosis hard to take for those who knew and loved him.
Maggie’s chief executive, Dame Laura Lee, said: “We are all so deeply saddened by the news of Kevin’s death. He was known throughout Maggie’s as an incredibly kind person and personally, I will miss his generous nature hugely.
“Of course, his death is all the more poignant for us because it came following a cancer diagnosis. I know there will be a huge number of people saddened by this news, many people he has supported and cared for throughout his career, but our thoughts are foremost with his family at this time.”
Legacy of kindness and compassion
Ian Ord, chairman of Maggie’s Aberdeen says a light has gone out at the centre.
He said: “He was a beacon of hope to many visitors to the centre in their hours of need and sadly his light has been dimmed all too soon. We will forever be grateful for his hard work and sheer dedication to Maggie’s, his colleagues and our centre visitors. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family.
“He leaves us his legacy of compassion, kindness, warmth and good humour. Things that we would all do well to replicate.”
Kevin died on December 11 and his funeral will take place at Hazlehead Crematorium’s West Chapel on Wednesday December 20 at 9.45am.
