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Ranald Paterson
A Life well lived
Passionate. Expertise. Kindness. Consideration.
These are just a few of the words that sum up
the life of Ranald Paterson who passed away on
the 5th of December 2023.
Ranald’s life was well lived. From growing up in
Fort Augustus and winning a scholarship to
Inverness Royal Academy where he boarded full
time. There he discovered sport here and
represented first teams in rugby, football, cricket,
shinty, badminton, and athletics.
He went to Edinburgh University to read
Geography, aged 17. He extended his studies to
geology, social anthropology, and economic
history, and remained there for 5 years. He was a
member of The Students Representative Council,
many charities, and the Labour Club. Yes, Ranald
was a Labour supporter!
Ranald passed interviews to join the Colonial
Office in his final year at Edinburgh and was sent
to Downing College, Cambridge to study Law and
the Rhodesian tribal language Bemba. To help
pay his way through university he worked as a
labourer in a whisky distillery, as a road sweeper,
as an ice cream salesman, as a bus conductor
and as a waiter.
Just after Ranald married Flip, they sailed to
Cape Town 8 days later, followed by the train to
Lusaka, Northern Rhodesia. Ranald was a District
Officer in Senanga, then Kalabo, then Monze. In
1965 President Kenneth Kaunda asked Ranald to
set up a National Coal Commission to make
Zambia independent of imports from Southern
Rhodesia. In 1967 President Kaunda appointed
Ranald Director of Elections to prepare Zambia
for their first, post-independence, general
election. He received the Zambian Medal - Order
of Distinguished Service, for his work.
www.beveragestandardsassociation.co.uk
In 1969 Ranald and the family
returned to the UK and started work
for Hanson Trust, based in High
Wycombe. He was the Executive
Director of their new company
established to develop business
outside the UK. For the next 2 years,
Ranald travelled around the world to
Africa, the USA, and Australia. Care of
Ranald, Hanson Trust businesses
were established in all 3 continents.
Ranald left Hanson Trust in 1971 and
joined ACS, which was a catering and
vending supply company. He
eventually became a Commercial
Director and joined the board of
British Vending Industries.
In January 1980 the Foreign Office
asked Ranald to go to Southern
Rhodesia to help organise and run
their general election. After 15 years
of internal warfare, Southern
Rhodesia was to become Zimbabwe.
It was a challenging election
campaign, Ranald was ambushed and
shot at. He returned in March 1980
and was presented in November with
the Order of the British Empire by the
Queen at Buckingham Palace.
Whilst Ranald was proud to receive
both his medals he did not support
the concept of colonies and an
Empire. He joined the Colonial Service
to try and make a difference from JANUARY/FEBRUARY. 2024 | ISSUE 34
within. His great pride was that both
Zambia and Zimbabwe achieved
independence and became African
nations governed by African citizens.