The Aberdeen Vegan Meals Group remembers Una Gordon with deep affection, gratitude and admiration.
Una was born in Ballymena, County Antrim, and was a gifted musician, singer, scholar and linguist from an early age. Those who knew her recognised the warmth, intelligence, generosity and strong sense of justice that characterised her throughout her life.
After university, Una pursued a distinguished career in the Prison Service, becoming governor of several prisons before later serving at the Home Office. She cared about both running institutions effectively and improving the lives of those within them. Throughout her career, she worked for the welfare of prisoners and staff alike, helping develop initiatives that promoted care, dignity, rehabilitation and opportunity. Among other things, she helped establish mother and baby units at Holloway Prison and, before retiring, founded a welfare organisation for prison staff across England and Wales.
On 1 February 1992, she married Iain Gordon, the love of her life. They shared many happy years together, travelled widely, welcomed friends into their home and built a life centred on kindness, hospitality and an interest in the world.
After many years as a vegetarian, Una became vegan at around forty-five and devoted herself to promoting veganism and animal welfare. Compassion for animals was more than a belief: it was a way of life. She supported many animal welfare organisations, gave loving homes to many cats and encouraged others to adopt a kinder, more compassionate way of life. Among the animals who shared her life was Cinnamon, her beloved golden ginger cat and faithful companion for many years.
A life member of the Vegan Society since 1 December 1999, Una also served as its local contact in Aberdeen, helping connect and support vegans through knowledge, encouragement and friendship. Deeply committed to animal welfare, she took part in various animal rights events, sometimes in circumstances that called for strong conviction and personal courage. Justice, impartiality and care for the planet were values she held deeply and lived by every day. Her commitment to animals remained unwavering throughout her life.
She found vivisection and animal experiments utterly abhorrent. This belief played a significant part in her decision to donate her body to medical science, hoping that in some small way she could help reduce the use of animals in research. Even in her final act, Una wanted to stay true to her values and contribute to a more compassionate world.
In 2002, Una and George Rodger brought a group of vegans together for a meal at The Lemon Tree in Aberdeen. That gathering led to the creation of the Aberdeen Vegan Meals Group, which continues more than two decades later. Many friendships began around that first table, and many more followed thanks to Una's gift for bringing people together.
From 2007 to 2014, Una and Iain opened their beautiful home in Dufftown to group members every summer. Visitors were welcomed with warmth, generosity and excellent vegan food prepared by Una, whose cooking skills were appreciated by everyone. Those afternoons created treasured memories and strengthened the sense of community that remains at the heart of the group.
The values that guided Una's professional life were the same ones that inspired her commitment to veganism: compassion, justice, respect for others and a determination to make the world better. Whether supporting staff and prisoners, championing animal welfare, caring for her beloved cats or welcoming friends into her home, she always sought to improve the lives of those around her.
After Iain's death in 2014, Una moved from Dufftown to Dunfermline to be closer to her family. Although the distance meant she could no longer attend the meals regularly, she stayed in touch with the group for many years and continued to hope she could join them again. The group was always pleased to hear from her and to know that the friendships she had helped create remained important to her.
Una leaves a remarkable legacy, both in the vegan community she helped build and through the example of a life lived with integrity, courage, compassion and love. She touched countless lives with her kindness, generosity and unwavering commitment to her values. The group remembers her with great affection and remains deeply grateful for everything she gave to the group, the wider vegan community and the many people whose lives were enriched by knowing her.
Comments