Patsy Gowans championed support workers after moving from a career in care to the council chambers.
The mum of two, who has died aged 67, represented Elgin North as an SNP member from 2012 to 2017.
But her husband said she “never saw herself as a politician”.
A former support worker herself, Patsy worked tirelessly to improve conditions for those working in the sector.
She was also successful in getting a wheelchair accessible path built alongside Elgin Academy, allowing people to get from the Morrioston Road school to the town centre.
And Patsy always put people before party during her time as a councillor.
Although she was a member of the SNP group, she did not always follow the party line…
She backed plans for the western link road, as she believed it would improve the transport network in Elgin by connecting Edgar Road with the A96 along Wittet Drive.
But the plans were ditched, and concern lingers on about town centre congestion.
Who was Patsy Gowans?
Born in Dundee in 1957, Patsy attended Clepington Primary and Stobswell Secondary.
Leaving school at 16, she worked for a short time with whisky blending and bottling firm George Morton.
She then joined the Dundee Corporation, latterly Tayside Regional Council, in members’ services.
Patsy married her husband Dave in 1978.
And the pair moved to Ayrshire where she joined the housing department at Kyle and Carrick District Council.
She worked there until their son Gregor was born in 1984.
Patsy Gowans was lollipop woman during varied working life
Daughter Mhairi came along two years later, and the family moved from Ayrshire to Cupar, Fife, in 1989.
As well as looking after her young family, Patsy worked as a lollipop woman and studied for her HNC in Office Administration at Elmwood College in Cupar.
And she was named student of the year for her efforts.
The family moved to Elgin in 1996 when Dave took a job with Moray Council’s civil engineering design team.
Patsy worked with trunk road maintenance company Bear Scotland, and joined Turning Point as a support worker in 1997.
She stayed there until she became a councillor.
Always well-dressed with a unique sense of style, Patsy was a committed campaigner for Scottish independence before ultimately losing faith in the SNP.
Patsy considered herself a European, and she and Dave travelled extensively across the continent – including to Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia-Hertzegovina and Estonia.
Not compelled to follow the party line…
She was particularly fond of Toledo in Spain and loved their frequent stop-overs in Germany.
But Le Lac du Magne Moncontour, Vienne, in France – where Patsy holidayed with her young family and friends – had a special place in her memories.
She also enjoyed visiting Gregor who stays in Wroclaw, Poland, and the occasional long-distance trip to Japan to see Mhairi while she was working near Tokyo.
Patsy was diagnosed with a rare sarcoma in 2021 that resulted in her leg being amputated above the knee.
After months of exercises and weight training she was able to get up and about again with her prosthetic leg.
And she managed to get her waking distance up to 2.3 kilometres.
But the cancer recently returned. Patsy died on July 20. She was 67.
Husband’s tribute to beloved Patsy Gowans
Dave said: “Patsy was a very determined person. I saw that most of all when she worked so hard to get back walking after losing her leg.
“She never saw herself as a politician, she couldn’t stand all the background manoeuvrings.
“But she was definitely someone who got the bit between her teeth and would follow things through.”
Dave added: “And she didn’t feel compelled to follow the party line if she thought it was wrong.
“When she was a councillor she stood up for carers, highlighting their poor wages.
“She was particularly proud at getting the all-abilities path connecting Morriston Road with the town.
“She saw it as ‘Patsy’s Path’.”
Conversation