A much-loved RNLI volunteer who gave 56 years of service to the charity has died.

Judith Richardson, who had been with the Dungeness lifeboat station since she was 20, passed away on Thursday.

In 2023, she was awarded the British Empire Medal in recognition of her years of service to the RNLI, which began as a so-called “lady launcher”.

They were predominantly the wives and female family members of the lifeboat crew and were responsible for launching and recovering the lifeboat in all weathers while the men went to sea.

RNLI lifeboat operations manager Vicky Morgan said: “From day one, 56 years ago, Judith immersed herself in RNLI life with complete dedication to the charity’s cause and to each individual she met along the way.

“She had a passion for the camaraderie of station life and the importance of the extended family of Dungeness RNLI and that never faltered.

“She will be so sadly missed by all of us. The station will not be the same but what a fantastic life she led, and her legacy is something to be admired by the next generation of lifesavers.”

Announcing her death on Thursday, Mrs Richardson’s son Stuart said: “Our beloved mum, Judith Richardson, passed away peacefully in her sleep early this morning.

“She’ll be deeply missed by all of us in the family and friends. We’ll keep you posted once the funeral arrangements are finalised.

“Thank you for your love and support during this difficult time.”

By Friday afternoon there were almost 200 messages of tribute and condolence on Mr Richardson’s social media post.

They included one from Cllr David Wimble (Reform UK), a district member for New Romney. He said that Mrs Richardson was “loyal to her family and the RNLI to the end” and was “such a force of nature”.

Mrs Richardson, who was in her 70s, had been with Dungeness station since 1967.

In her first year, Mrs Richardson took on the fundraising and water safety education roles, taking the charity’s water roadshow around the country with her husband, William.

She was also the Dungeness station’s press officer for several years until retiring from that role in 2022.

That task had involved telling the media every time the Romney Marsh lifeboat was launched, but after that she continued with other roles at the station.

In June 2023, it was announced that Mrs Richardson was just one of three RNLI volunteers to be recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours.

She was awarded the British Empire Medal and said at the time: “‘I am so very proud of everything I’ve been involved with in the RNLI.

“I’ve enjoyed and loved all of it and I just hope along the way I’ve helped to save some lives. I’m just as committed as I ever was to this wonderful charity.”

Mrs Richardson was presented with the medal that November at Knole House in Sevenoaks by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Kent, The Lady Colgrain.

Mrs Richardson’s husband had been a coxswain at Dungeness, and he later became a district councillor for Lydd and a Kent county councillor representing Romney Marsh. He died of cancer in 2010.