MR. FRANK GARON, the chairman of the Southend-on-Sea branch died on the 29th of July at the age of sixty. A director of the big catering firm of Garons in Southend, he was another of the many busy men who yet are able to give much of their time to the Life-boat Service. He brought to its work a personal knowledge of the waters of the Thames estuary, for he was a very keen yachtsman.

He became the honorary treasurer of the Southend life-boat station at the be- ginning of 1938, and two years later, in January, 1940, he accepted the hono- rary secretaryship. That was early in the war, and the next five years were very difficult and dangerous years for a life-boat station near the main Thames defences, in waters where German aeroplanes were repeatedly dropping mines. In those years its life-boat went out on service 69 times and rescued 232 lives. Mr. Garon continued to be honorary secretary until 1947, in spite of poor health, and when he was compelled to resign in February of that year, he still would not give up his life-boat work, and became chairman of the branch. The month before he had been awarded the institution's inscribed binoculars as a small mark of gratitude for his many services. One of the last of them was in March of this year, when he did much by his kindness and hospitality to ensure the success of a conference of the branches in Greater London, which was held at one of his restaurants.

The life-boat station was only one of his public duties. He was a life- governor of the general hospital, and the head of a body of anonymous people who for twenty-five years had helped poor families in Southend by their gifts.

He was given a fitting funeral. His ashes were scattered from the life-boat in the waters of the Thames estuary.

His work is being carried on by his brother, Mr. Percy Garon, who has succeeded him as chairman of the life- boat station..