Valerie Constable (née Wilson) OAM, alum of the Victorian College of Pharmacy (now Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash) passed away in 2023 aged 90, after a lifetime of gently breaking the glass ceiling and motivating a legion of other women in the process.
Val was a humble trailblazer for women in pharmacy, and in 1991, was the first woman in 135 years to be elected as President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s Victorian branch (PSAV).
Val’s college years not only saw her establish a successful career, but was also where she met a young man called Bob, who she fondly described as “the love of my life”. They married and together raised two wonderful girls (Sally and Fiona) and ran a hugely successful pharmacy for 36 years. The Constable’s pharmacy employed and mentored many trainees from different parts of the world, and cared for a community that included migrants and veterans.
Throughout Val’s wonderful and full life of family and career, she continued to maintain close links to Monash University, staying in regular contact with her classmates. Her connections and memories of University days were an important component of her life.
Val was always thinking of others, so it is a true reflection of her generosity of spirit that she chose to leave a gift in her Will to the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Thank you Val, your legacy will truly live on making a difference for students to come.
I am hoping my legacy will be to encourage the next generations of students, especially female students, to aspire to positions in official pharmacy and climb the ladder in whichever branch of pharmacy they have chosen.