TRIBUTES have been paid to a man who was instrumental in bringing the lifeboat station back to Penarth.

Captain Graham Sommerfield’s death was announced on Tuesday, May 23.

Born in April 1935 and a pilot in the Bristol Channel at the time, Captain Sommerfield played a vital role in bringing the lifeboat station back to Penarth in 1980 after the original one had been closed in 1905.

Seeing the need for the return of a lifeboat in Penarth, along with a number of volunteers, he formed a group which had its first meeting in Penarth Yacht Club.

An informal crew was established, and soon there was a relief lifeboat accommodated in a local garage and pushed down to the seafront whenever there was a shout.

The crew needed more space amd moved to the old deck chair store which is now under the Fig Tree before Captain Sommerfield became the honorary secretary of the new station.

Jason Dunlop, lifeboat operations manager Penarth RNLI, said: “It was Graham’s sheer perseverance, good humour and influencing skills that kept momentum for the lifeboat station at Penarth to be officially recognised and developed to a service provided 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.

“There is no doubt that it was Graham’s passion for the RNLI and its volunteers that enabled the RNLI station to go from strength to strength, to the facility it is today.

“Graham brought an extensive skill set with him to the station.

“His knowledge of sailing, the local area, sea conditions and tidal currents was exemplary. He was an excellent administrator, a brilliant leader, and proved totally reliable in a crisis.

“He was to us all a true gentleman, kind and genuine and someone who never raised his voice.

“He commanded respect and gave respect to his crew.”

GrahamCaptain Sommerfield, who lived in Lavernock, had two sons and one adopted daughter and started his career at sea as an apprentice on board the MV Katrine.

He went on to work for Bristol Steam Navigation Company as mate/master running between Dublin, Bristol and other European ports.

Wanting to be home to spend more time with his family, he secured a position as captain with British Dredging, working out of Cardiff Docks.

He eventually obtained the position of dock pilot covering both Cardiff and Barry docks.

He attended the local stroke club and did a sponsored electric bike ride around Cosmeston Lake to raise money for the club.

After standing down from his honorary secretary role in June 1993, he kept in touch with crew members, regular phone calls, messages and Christmas cards.

Mr Dunlop added: “Graham’s legacy will live on in the RNLI station for many years to come and he leaves behind a RNLI station which has grown from strength to strength to be one of Wales’ busiest stations.”

James Locke, a crew member at the station and mechanic and long-time friend of Captain Sommerfield, said: “Graham was a true gentleman and he made me very welcome when I transferred from Porthcawl RNLI.

“It was Graham that formed us into a tight local lifesaving force in Penarth which was like a family.”