Chief of Naval Staff, serving from 23 November 1973 to 22 November 1976 with the rank of vice admiral. He replaced Vice Admiral Sir Richard Peek, and was succeeded by Vice Admiral Sir Anthony Synnot. He served under Admiral Sir Victor Smith, Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. Further honours flowed from this appointment: Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in 1976, and Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1976. After the navy In retirement, Sir David Stevenson became Chairman for the ACT for the Queen Elizabeth Fund for Young Australians. He also served for many years and also served on the board of the YMCA in Canberra. In 1980 he was invited to be a consultant for the Australian Bicentenary Authority, and attended the Sail Training Association's Tall Ships Regatta in Amsterdam for the purpose of inviting the STA to have their fleet attend Australia's Bi-Centenary in 1988. After a number of strokes in the 10 years before his death, he became progressively more physically handicapped while remaining mentally alert. He died on 26 October 1998. His funeral was held with Full Naval Honours on 6 November 1998, at the ANZAC Memorial Chapel of St Paul, Royal Military College Duntroon, with his body conveyed on a gun carriage drawn by 34 naval personnel. A Memorial Service was held in his honour at St Peter's Anglican Church, Southport, Queensland. Family Stevenson's older brother, James, died as a test pilot during the Second World War. His older sister Dorothy, was a prima-ballerina with the Royal Ballet and the Borovansky Ballet Company. His younger brother was William. On 18 April 1944, Stevenson married Myra Clarke (died 1978) of Melbourne, at St. Peters Church, Eastern Hill in Melbourne. He sailed soon after for the Long Navigation Course in England. Their daughter, Jacqueline, was born in 1948 and their son, David, was born in 1952. He married Margaret Wheeler Wright in 1979. In 1985 he and his wife retired to the Gold Coast, Queensland, near where he had attended school, where he continued his interests in golf, fishing, sailing, lawn bowls, travelling, reading and playing bridge. He was Patron of Queensland's N Class Destroyers Association for some years. References External links The Life and Naval Career of Vice Admiral Sir Hugh David Stevenson, AC, KBE, Albert Birch; first published: Naval Historical Review – June 1977 edition Full