Stephanie Mary Coghlan (18 Sep 1943 - 2 Jul 2017)

I was so sorry to get news of Stephanie's death on our return home from working abroad. She was responsible for some great and positive changes in my life. In 2005 as a special birthday present I booked on a holiday to Crete which Stephanie and Jim led. During our day on the Akrotiri peninsular near Chania Stephanie suggested I might like to lead future trips, which I did, initially with her. So she gave me the opportunity become a leader with the Traveling Naturalist, and through them attend the Bird Fair where I met my husband Tim. Most recently She and Jim came with us on my fungus and fruit tour to Latvia, (a bit disappointing for birds!!). I will miss her and our chats about traveling and wildlife. My thoughts are with you Jim.

Steve and I met at Sunderland teacher training college in September 1962. We shared interests in climbing and folk music although she was totally tone deaf! She and Jim were already an item but we enjoyed our visit to folk clubs and Crag Lough in Northumberland for climbing. Friends in the year above Cynth and Heidi with similar interests.

She and I had digs together in our third year with a family who’s son name I always nervously mispronounced ‘Jeremony’. She listened and saw me through histrionic break ups and reconciliations over those years whilst she herself was steadily happy, committed to Jim.

We moved to Nottingham to teach and shared a flat with Jan, a Rugby school friend and also a climber and I met up with her Rugby Climbing Club and others. Even though they kicked me out for not washing up, we stayed friends and I help sew her wedding dress and became, with Heidi, a bridesmaid at their wedding in Dublin on the day of the football World Cup between England and Germany in 66. We even sang “Auld Maid in a Garrett” at the reception between visits by most guests to the TV lounge.

Steve cared for our first son to give us a break, took him home when we were moving north, and was a rock for me at that time despite her illnes. I drifted away and only came back to real friendship recently but it's very real and heartfelt now and I am missing her a lot.

She has my love and thanks.

Steve and I met at Sunderland teacher training college in September 1962. We shared interests in climbing and folk music although she was totally tone deaf! She and Jim were already an item but we enjoyed our visit to folk clubs and Crag Lough in Northumberland for climbing. Friends in the year above Cynth and Heidi with similar interests.

She and I had digs together in our third year with a family who’s son name I always nervously mispronounced ‘Jeremony’. She listened and saw me through histrionic break ups and reconciliations over those years whilst she herself was steadily happy, committed to Jim.

We moved to Nottingham to teach and shared a flat with Jan, a Rugby school friend and also a climber and I met up with her Rugby Climbing Club and others. Even though they kicked me out for not washing up, we stayed friends and I help sew her wedding dress and became, with Heidi, a bridesmaid at their wedding in Dublin on the day of the football World Cup between England and Germany in 66. We even sang “Auld Maid in a Garrett” at the reception between visits by most guests to the TV lounge.

Steve cared for our first son to give us a break, took him home when we were moving north, and was a rock for me at that time despite her illnes. I drifted away and only came back to real friendship recently but it's very real and heartfelt now and I am missing her a lot.

She has my love and thanks.

Steve and I met at Sunderland teacher training college in September 1962. We shared interests in climbing and folk music although she was totally tone deaf! She and Jim were already an item but we enjoyed our visit to folk clubs and Crag Lough in Northumberland for climbing. Friends in the year above Cynth and Heidi with similar interests.

She and I had digs together in our third year with a family who’s son name I always nervously mispronounced ‘Jeremony’. She listened and saw me through histrionic break ups and reconciliations over those years whilst she herself was steadily happy, committed to Jim.

We moved to Nottingham to teach and shared a flat with Jan, a Rugby school friend and also a climber and I met up with her Rugby Climbing Club and others. Even though they kicked me out for not washing up, we stayed friends and I help sew her wedding dress and became, with Heidi, a bridesmaid at their wedding in Dublin on the day of the football World Cup between England and Germany in 66. We even sang “Auld Maid in a Garrett” at the reception between visits by most guests to the TV lounge.

Steve cared for our first son to give us a break, took him home when we were moving north, and was a rock for me at that time despite her illnes. I drifted away and only came back to real friendship recently but it's very real and heartfelt now and I am missing her a lot.

She has my love and thanks.

We’re so sad to hear the news. Although we didn’t meet very often it was always a joy to meet Steve, for her always positive view of life and the world around us. Even when the weather was cold and rainy we fondly remember Steve’s smile telling us to look at the plants and flowers and ignore the clouds. She was able to work this magic even in the depths of Winter.

We’re sorry that we won’t be able to join everyone at the funeral to say cheerio to a lovely friend. We hope that Jim will keep in touch; so we can share a look at the flowers and remember Steve.

We’re so sad to hear the news. Although we didn’t meet very often it was always a joy to meet Steve, for her always positive view of life and the world around us. Even when the weather was cold and rainy we fondly remember Steve’s smile telling us to look at the plants and flowers and ignore the clouds. She was able to work this magic even in the depths of Winter.

We’re sorry that we won’t be able to join everyone at the funeral to say cheerio to a lovely friend. We hope that Jim will keep in touch; so we can share a look at the flowers and remember Steve.

We are very sorry that we cannot join you on Friday. We know that you will be surrounded by family and friends and hope that you will be able to share the many happy memories of Stephanie's life. We share many of those memories with you.
With much love Anne and Steve

In memory of all the lovely holidays we shared together

Eddy Rowlands - Steve Coghlan
I first met Steve through the Rugby Mountaineering Club,She and Jan who later became my wife joined in the very early Sixties, I remember her for her strong force of character, a women who if she had been born a hundred years earlier would have toured Africa pacifying the natives. The one outstanding memory from those early days was when she came out on one of the meets to North Wales and she shared a tent with me and another friend. She had the space between us. In the darkest part of the night she shook me awake, I staggered to consciousness thinking we were being invaded by aliens or the like, “what’s up” said I, “ your snoring” says she.
She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Jan Rowlands – Steve Coghlan
Steve and I met at Dunsmore School, Rugby. We Both lost our mothers in our early teens and through our fathers became firm friends. Steve coped with cooking, family life and school work at this time.
Later we went to different teacher training colleges , Steve to the North and myself in the South but joined up for a memorable holiday in Greece. This must have sparked her love of Crete which lead to her many trips there and eventually to the Book “Birds of Crete”
After college we shared digs with Judy, a college friend in Nottingham, all of us teaching. We were both lucky to meet and marry our husbands through the Rugby Mountaineering Club and to go on and develop our mutual love of walking.
In later years we had many visits together. Several momentous celebrations one in a tent near Keswick with bubbly and cake at midnight (that was our joint 25th Wedding Anniversary. The last get together was at a stately home in Northamptonshire to enjoy a picnic and firework competition with many friends, a wonderful happy evening.

On behalf of my parents Kath and Stan who shared some wonderful times with Stephanie and Jim as many did thanks to her generous encouragement on Snail's Pace trips

Greedy Goats and Clandestine Campers

How wonderful to see the photo of Steve (and bear) with her great nieces and a goat....

I was six and living in France when I was introduced to Steve and Jim by a couple of greedy goats whose field my mum, sister and I were sharing, adjacent to an official Swiss campsite in the Lenk valley, housing Steve and Jim's dome tent. Whether there wasn't room on the campsite, or whether my mum felt the field looked more inviting, I don't remember, but I do remember feeding the goats with Steve and Jim and playing with my sister inside their dome tent, which seemed most hi-tech compared to our parents' homemade triangle, and laughing uncontrollably when Steve and Jim collapsed it on top of us.

We stayed in touch and Steve gave us membership of the Young Ornithologists' Club and pointed out interesting and secret things when she took us to a reserve, and taught us to make Corn Dollies when we visited them in Almondbury, where they also gave me an old wooden flute they had rescued from someone who was threatening to make it into a walking stick!!!

Yorkshire, as well as my wonderful hosts, made a deep impression on me and, many years later, I made it my home, playing a non- walking stick flute for a living. Steve and Jim welcomed me to stay with them over an extended period of time, always sharing, patient, kind, funny, and a rock when it came to sound advice; I was happy about buying my own little house once they had cast an eye over it, checking the roof from the field behind Northfield Terrace, where they became known and loved as part of the Terrace community with its many impromptu get-togethers.

At our wedding, and the photos which followed, I was asked many times about the distinguished-looking actress lady in the hat. What gave her this poise? Was it her inner strength yet outer gentleness, or the wonder with which she observed nature, assimilating within her deep knowledge, or the way she would quietly observe a situation, only offering advice if it were asked of her; intuitive, thoughtful, non-judgemental, wise?

Later again, Steve and Jim visited us in France when we lived there with our own children, giving our boys bug boxes and showing them interesting (and secret) things in the flower- filled fields at Vesancy, and on our hunt for the path to Colomby de Gex. On leaving Primary School and being asked to write about possible vocations, our oldest wrote 'working for the RSPB'- thank you Steve! On learning of her illness, he said,' We had such fun with Steve and Jim'!

Amongst other trips, all our family were fortunate to be able to visit Steve in her last few days, and Jim knew we were planning to do this on our way to Spain. Unlike the immaculate planning Steve and Jim undertake for their trips, our packing tends to be rather last-minute and often continues well into the night. Not wanting Jim to lose sleep awaiting our arrival, we decided it would be best not to announce ourselves, but just to turn off the headlights and drive silently into the driveway in Thorpe Lane in our camper van to spend the remainder of the night before our visit, knowing he would discover us when he opened the curtains in the morning and would smile at the sight of the once-again-clandestine campers...

May you find peace to bring you comfort, courage to face the days ahead and loving memories to forever hold in your heart. What an amazing lady and what a remarkable life.
Our deepest condolences to you at this very sad time, know that you are not alone and if you ever need to talk, please don't hesitate to reach out.