Who was Dame Stephanie Shirley? Tech Pioneer and Philanthropist Dies at 91

August 11, 2025 — Dame Stephanie Shirley, a trailblazing tech entrepreneur and generous philanthropist, has died at the age of 91. Her family confirmed her passing on August 9, in an Instagram post shared Monday.

Known affectionately as “Steve Shirley”, she made history in the 1960s by founding a software company that almost exclusively hired women — many of them mothers working from home. At a time when women in tech were rare, Dame Stephanie didn’t just open the door — she built a whole new space for them.

Over her lifetime, she gave away over £70 million to causes close to her heart — especially projects supporting autism and technology education.

Early Life: From Kindertransport to Career in Tech

Born Vera Buchthal in Dortmund, Germany, in 1933, Dame Stephanie came to the UK as a child refugee via the Kindertransport program. Her Jewish parents had fled Nazi persecution and sent her and her sister to Britain in 1939. She was just five years old.

Adopted by loving foster parents, she grew up in London determined to make the most of her second chance at life. Her background, filled with trauma and survival, made her resilient and driven.

Tech Visionary and Founder of a Groundbreaking Company

In 1962, Dame Stephanie launched Freelance Programmers from her dining room table. The goal? To create flexible, home-based tech jobs for women — especially those with children — in a male-dominated industry.

She even signed her business letters as “Steve” to avoid the gender bias that often shut women out of business deals.

Her company, which later became FI Group, and then Xansa, grew into a tech powerhouse. Of the first 300 employees, 297 were women. Her bold idea of flexible, remote work was decades ahead of its time.

A Life of Giving: Autism Advocacy and Education

After her tech success, Dame Stephanie turned to philanthropy. Much of her charitable focus was driven by personal experience — her only son, Giles, was autistic and sadly passed away in 1998.

She became an early supporter of the National Autistic Society and launched her own charity, The Shirley Foundation, which funded:

• Autism at Kingwood – supporting autistic adults in southern England

• Prior’s Court School – for young people with autism in Berkshire

• Dozens of IT, science, and education projects across the UK

By the time she retired from philanthropy, she had donated most of her £150 million fortune.

Legacy and Final Reflections

Dame Stephanie never stopped fighting for gender equality, especially in tech. She openly discussed the sexism she faced and how she used wit, strength, and creativity to overcome it.

At one of her last public appearances, she spoke openly about ageing, purpose, and her proudest achievements.

“You might say I’m a survivor. But really, I’m a builder. I built something from nothing — and I gave it away.”

Her legacy continues through the countless women in STEM she inspired, the lives touched by her charities, and the people who now benefit from the work-from-home revolution she helped start — long before it was mainstream.