He was part of the original team of porters when Ninewells Hospital opened, wheeling the first patient through its doors in 1974.
Now Ronnie Stewart is retiring from an NHS Tayside career spanning more than four decades.
Colleagues, friends and senior managers gathered at the hospital on Friday to say goodbye and to celebrate his long service.
Born in Dundee, Ronnie became a porter in 1969 and spent a few years working at Dundee Royal Infirmary.
He then volunteered, with other porters, to help prepare the wards for patients for the opening of the newly-built Ninewells Hospital.
Ronnie has held a number of positions over the years ranging from general porter, charge hand porter and assistant general services manager for portering to his final position of assistant locality manager/transport manager.
Ninewells Hospital has increased in size with various departments and new extensions to accommodate the improvements and developments in heath care since the 1970s.
It would be fair to say that Ronnie has probably walked every inch of the hospital and in doing so racked up thousands of miles on his ‘pedometer’ – if only he had been wearing one.
Ronnie said: “Over the years I have had the privilege of working with a great bunch of people and I will be leaving the NHS today with many happy memories.
“From my first portering job at DRI and up until my last post, I never forgot that I was here for the patients as I kept that thought foremost in my mind in everything I did.
“As you would expect, after a career lasting 48 years it has been a learning curve.
“Some might say a very long learning curve but I can honestly say that I have grown up with Ninewells Hospital and the hospital has grown up around me.
He added: “Working as a porter definitely kept me fit and I would guess the number of steps I have taken in my work over the years runs into the millions so I may have to take up golf again to help keep my steps up.
“I know that when I am happily retired I will spend many moments thinking about my time in the health service and all the staff I have worked with, and reflect on all the good times we shared.
“NHS Tayside staff do a fantastic job day-in-day-out and I have to admit that it will be a wrench to say goodbye.”
NHS Tayside Chief Operating Officer Lorna Wiggin thanked Ronnie for his long and dedicated service over the years and presented him with gifts on behalf of his colleagues and the organisation.
She said, “The large turnout of staff here is testament to the high regard in which Ronnie is held by his colleagues.
“Ronnie was very keen that his last day with NHS Tayside would involve some portering duties.
“He was clear that he wanted to have just a few hours portering as he wanted to be able to say that he started as a porter and finished as a ‘porter’.
I am pleased to say that we were able to arrange this.
“On behalf of the organisation, I would like to wish Ronnie a very happy retirement and thank him for all his years of NHS service.”
