POOLE Lifeboat Station Museum volunteer and fundraiser, Alf Martin, has died at the age of 76.

Born in January 1940, to mother, Dorothy, and father, Alfred, as a new baby brother to Phyl, Alf spent his early years in Bournemouth and the New Forest.

Alf was part of the church choir before becoming an army cadet, which won him a cadet of the year award.

At the age of 15, he joined the territorial army and caught the eye of his future wife, Helen, at the local dance, who he would go on to share nearly 60 happy years with. The couple married in 1963 at St James' Church in Pokesdown. They went on to welcome their children, Tracy, Beverly, Lindsey, and Stuart.

Initially, he took a job at Smedley's as a salesman allowing Alf and Helen to purchase their first home in Rugby Road in Poole before becoming a qualified auto electrical engineer.

Alf moved jobs to The Plessey Company plc, and eventually the family set up their next home in Canford Heath.

In his spare time, Alf helped his brother-in-law to start up a company within the milk industry and eventually took the helm as manager of the family firm.

Outside of work, Alf took an interest in morse code, which led him to Citizens Band radio, where he created Radio Ham.

The highlight for Alf was when Radio Ham was heard by astronaut Dr Owen Garriott on Space Shuttle Columbia in February 1984.

In response to the memorable event, he was given an honorary lifetime membership to the American Radio Relay League.

Alf also had a passion for cars and took his beloved Porsche along to many shows and events, before purchasing a Rover.

In later life, Alf and Helen moved to Rockley in Poole and Alf took up the organ to play in the onsite owners' band with his wife, Helen, playing the violin.

Alf also enjoyed keeping fit in the onsite gym, winning him the 35th place in the world for rowing 10,000 metres in his age group in 2006.

Alf went on to become an RNLI Poole Lifeboat Station Museum volunteer working as a keen fundraiser with the Poole and District Fundraising Branch, and also became the charity's Remembrance Day flag bearer at the cenotaph in Poole Park.

Alf received the RNLI's bronze award in 2013 in recognition of his fundraising support to the charity.

He died on December 4 and his funeral took place on Monday, December 12 at Poole Crematorium with donations going to Poole Lifeboat Station.