Funeral details announced for Morningside Maisie author Aileen Paterson

Morningside Maisie creator Aileen Paterson passed away on 23 March at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh following a short illness.

She was 83 years of age and is survived by her children Kim, Chantal, Araba, Siobhan and Liam.

It has been announced that Aileen’s funeral is to be held next Thursday, 12 April, at Warriston Crematorium’s Lorimer Chapel.

Non-family guests are to refrain from sending or bringing flowers but can instead make a donation to Leukaemia Research or St Columba’s Hospice.

Fife-born author Aileen released her first Maisie book, entitled Maisie comes to Morningside, in 1984, and she would go on to pen dozens more over the next three decades.

Aileen later revealed she took up writing as a means of helping her deal with the grief of losing her 11-year-old son Max, who died from leukaemia in 1980.

Her books, which centre around the adventures of a young Scots-speaking moggy from the Highlands who goes to stay with her granny in Edinburgh’s well-to-do Morningside district, continue to captivate children to this day.

On Wednesday, the Edinburgh Evening News changed its masthead to the Edinburgh Evening Mews in recognition of the name of the newspaper that appeared in the Maisie books.

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