Stefano Olivieri was born in Maranello, Italy, in 1947 and studied medicine at the nearby University of Modena, where he also obtained his Doctorate in Medicine. He moved to England in 1978, working at Chichester, Portsmouth and Salisbury, before his consultant appointment in old age psychiatry, based at Winchester, in 1986. He was elected FRCPsych in 1994.

He enriched the lives of all he met by his humour, generosity of spirit and the warmth and exuberance of his personality - his presence would fill the room. He was the ‘warm heart’ of the local in-patient unit. He had a rigorously intellectual approach to psychiatry as well as exceptionally good clinical judgement, with a keen interest in both pharmacology and psychotherapy.

Stefano had a passion for teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels and, as college tutor, he inspired and mentored many trainee psyhiatrists and general practitioners. He was equally available to and valued by his consultant colleagues, all hospital and community staff and, above all, by his patients and their carers, for whom he worked tirelessly.

Stefano exemplified the best qualities of a doctor; he regarded those who were learning or practising medicine equally as his own family, and was loved and held in regard by them in equal measure. He died suddenly from ischaemic heart disease on 7 December 2004. The recently enlarged Old Age Psychiatry Unit at Melbury Lodge, Winchester has been renamed the Stefano Olivieri Unit - a fitting tribute and memorial. He leaves a wife Brenda, son Paul, and family in Italy.