RETIRED 2nd Coxswain of Poole Lifeboat, angling boat skipper, former secretary of Poole and District Fisherman’s Association and much loved Poole character, John Clark, has died aged 83.

John (pictured above on the right) first joined the Poole Lifeboat crew in 1971 as a swimmer with his diving buddy Dave Coles. The RNLI were advertising for strong swimmers, an ideal position for John as he was a commercial diver and had been the British Spearfishing Champion, some would say he had gills as he was happiest out and about working on or under the water.

He became inshore lifeboat crew and was promoted to 2nd Coxswain assistant mechanic until 1990.

During John’s time of service it was recorded that the lifeboat rescued 121 lives from shipwreck.

He supported his wife Mary who became the souvenir secretary at the Old Lifeboat Museum on Poole Quay. In a way John had gone full circle as he had started his lifeboat service there.

His son had served alongside him and then in 1998 he was immensely proud when his son Jonathan became coxswain.

John met the Duke of Kent on numerous occasions. The first time was when the RNLI headquarters relocated to Poole and was officially opened in 1974, and again when John and his wife Mary attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace.

In 2006, John was presented with a Poole Achievement Award for his outstanding services to the RNLI and the wider community, the wider community being his other charitable work.

For many years John was secretary for the Poole and District Fisherman’s Association, taking part in the fisherman’s regatta and helping to raise money for the guide dogs charity. He was also asked by the then Society of Poole Men to make the ‘pins and points’ for the ‘beating of the bounds’.

John’s parents Lily and Sid Clark had the ‘White Horse Inn on West Quay Road, Friar Cliff Marine which came to be Poole Power Boats had set up behind the pub and the rest is history. John said that his ‘knackered knees’ were testament to the times he had been out testing the new Sunseeker models, he was very proud of the Sunseeker brand and the fact that he had been there in the very early pioneering days and had seen it grow into the global name that it is today. Johns biggest passion was the Green Island Holiday Trust which gives disabled people the opportunity to take a holiday on the shores of John’s beloved Poole Harbour.

John’s true love, other than a net full of fish, was his wife Mary.

He was from a long line of fishermen and master mariners, lifeboat men and smugglers so it was no surprise that he joined the merchant navy. He said that he had ‘sailed around the world twice or more’ before he met Mary.

They met at a dance in Immingham. Mary was from a Grimsby trawler fishing family and John had come into port aboard the ‘Black Ranger’. He had asked her to dance and she had said she wouldn’t dance with him as he was wearing motorbike boots, so he went away and took them off and came back in his socks and asked her to dance, again. The couple recently celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary.

Mary moved down to Poole and began married life living in the White Horse Inn with John’s parents and sister Barbara whilst John was still at sea. Mary and John had a very happy life together, family was everything to them and they were blessed with three children, Diana, Nichola and Jonathan, with eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. John was also a much-loved uncle. A celebration of his life will take place on June 13 at St James’ Church, Poole, at 12pm, disabled parking only at the churchyard. Family flowers only but if desired, donations to Forest Holme Hospice and The Green Island Holiday Trust can be made payable to Lesley Shand Funeral Service. and can be forwarded to: c/o Lesley Shand Funeral Service, 184 Wareham Road, Corfe Mullen, BH21 3LL, Tel: 01202 658833 or online at www.funeraldirector.co.uk/john-clark