Earl Howe, who died on 26th July, 1964, at the age of 80, was actively associated with the Royal National Life-boat Institution for 45 years. He first joined the Committee of Management in 1919 and was elected a Vice-President in 1936.

He became Deputy Chairman in 1946 and 10 years later succeeded Sir Godfrey Baring as Chairman. He retired from the post of Chairman earlier this year when he was appointed honorary Chairman for Life. From 1931 to 1947 he was Deputy Treasurer and from 1932 to 1956 he was Chairman of the general purposes and publicity committee.

To the general public Lord Howe was known primarily as a racing car driver, a field in which he achieved outstanding distinction. It was perhaps characteristic of his courage and zest for life that he took up this most exacting of sports at the age of 44, yet he became perhaps the best known racing driver of his time. He also served the sport for many years in an administrative capacity, being Chairman of the R.A.C. Competitions Committee and, from 1928, Chairman of the British Racing Drivers' Club.

There were, however, many other fields in which Lord Howe achieved distinction.

In 1918 he was returned to Parliament as the Conservative member for South Battersea, and until his succession to the earldom in 1929 he was a most active member of Parliament, becoming a Conservative Whip in 1924. He was made a Privy Councillor in 1929 and was Chairman of the Central Council of the Conservative Party in 1932 and 1933.

Lord Howe's interest in the sea developed at an early age and as a boy he had planned for himself a naval career. He did not in fact enter the Royal Navy but was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford. At the age of 20 he joined the Sussex Division of the R.N.V.R., and in the first world war he commanded the Howe battalion of the Royal Naval Division with which he fought at Antwerp. He left this force to serve in the Queen Elizabeth throughout the Dardanelles campaign and to the end of the war.

In the second world war he served as Senior Inspector of De-gaussing with the rank of Commodore (R.N.V.R.).

One of the last public engagements which Lord Howe carried out was to take the chair at the ninth international life-boat conference in Edinburgh in June, 1963. He was then in failing health, but such was his devotion to the life-boat service that he was determined to take part in this major event, to which he had long looked forward, and in whose planning and organisation he had taken such an active part.

Lord Howe will be remembered with affection in all parts of Britain and Ireland, for he visited every one of the Institution's life-boat stations, and wherever he went he showed the keenest interest in the work of the crews and those who supported them.

Lord Howe's widow, Sybil, Countess Howe, is an honorary life governor of the Institution, having been appointed in 1954 in recognition of her services to the Central London Women's Committee. She is a past chairman of the Central London Women's Committee and is also president of the Chilterns branch, of which she was chairman from 1955 to September, 1964.

Lord Howe's daughter, Lady Georgiana Starkey, is president of Malton ladies' life-boat guild and a member of the Central London Women's Committee..