NZ actress Dame Pat Evison (85) was one of the countries first household name actresses when she payed Mrs Pukemanu in the 1970s drama series Pukemanu and then featured in the popular Close to Home series. She trained as a director in Britain in the 1940's at London's Old Vic Theatre Centre, taking on the role as assistant director with the Young Vic Theatre Company afterwards. When she returned to NZ she worked as a freelance director before turning to a career as an actress. She worked on stage, radio and TV in both Australia and New Zealand and was best known for her roles in the Australia TV series Prisoner and The Flying Doctors.
In 1980 she was awarded an OBE for her services to the theatre and in 1993 was made a Dame. She is survived by her husband, two sons and a daughter