19 Dec Celebrating the Life of John Lee
Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue Service (GAFIRS) would like to celebrate and honour the life of John Lee, who recently passed away. John’s funeral was held yesterday, and we join together in remembering a remarkable man whose dedication and service left a lasting legacy within our charity and the wider community.
John took on the role of Chair of GAFIRS shortly after his retirement in 1991, following an outstanding 34-year career in the Police Force, retiring with the rank of Superintendent, serving the Gosport and Fareham area. He went on to serve several years as Chair before becoming Vice President around 2005, continuing his unwavering support for the service.
Beyond GAFIRS, John was a passionate advocate for water safety education, delivering many talks over the years. He was a well-recognised and respected figure locally through his work as a swimming teacher and coach with Gosport St Vincent Swimming Club and Fareham Nomads, where he taught countless children the vital life skills of water confidence and swimming.
During his time as Vice President, John played a significant role in engaging and updating key stakeholders and supporters, helping to strengthen awareness of the charity’s lifesaving work.
Tributes have been received from far and wide, praising John’s dedication, leadership and commitment to GAFIRS over many years. He will be greatly missed by all who had the privilege of working with and knowing him.
To some of our volunteers, John was not only a colleague and mentor, but also a Father, Grandfather and Great-Grandfather, and he will be deeply missed by those who loved him.
Pictured: John receiving a merit honour from the RLSS, presented by his daughter, Chair of GAFIRS and Wessex President of the RLSS.
Our thoughts are with John’s family and friends at this difficult time. His legacy will continue to inspire all of us at GAFIRS.
