Isle of Wight fire brigade sub-officer John Collis has died at the age of 95, at his home in Rookley.

Born in Ryde, one of six children of Albert Harry Collis and Rhoda Mae Collis (nee Corney), at school he met his future wife, Patricia Rees, daughter of Alfred and Ethel Rees of Ryde.

He left school at 14 in 1942, and became an apprentice boat builder in Cowes, working at Groves and Gutteridge where he was employed building RNLI lifeboats, motor gun boats, motor torpedo boats and landing craft.

After the Second World War he briefly followed his older brother Robert into the Trinity House lighthouse service however, deciding that lighthouse duties were not for him, in 1952 he joined the Isle of Wight Fire Brigade.

In 1980, just prior to retirement along with another colleague he was tasked with surveying every building on the Island and assessing its fire ‘risk’ and number of pumps that should be deployed to those buildings in preparation for the introduction of an automated control room system.

Retiring from the fire service in 1982 after completing 30 years’ service, he joined the staff of the NHS estates department, as the fire safety and training officer for the Isle of Wight health board.

One of his tasks was to specify the numbers, location and type of fire alarm, smoke detector and fire extinguishing means to be deployed throughout the new St Mary’s Hospital building.

Outside of work his main hobby was sailing.

He won both Cherub and International 14 classes back in the day.

As a member of East Cowes Sailing Club he struck up a friendship with Uffa Fox, becoming a part time boatbuilder for Uffa at his Commodores House. He built 11 boats for Uffa including Uffa’s last boat Ankle Deep.

In 1971 his friendship with Uffa brought him to the attention of the national press when Uffa persuaded him to ‘crew’ the Flying Fifteen Coweslip for members of the Royal Family; notably Prince Phillip and Prince Charles, a role he continued until 1976.

In retirement he kept his boat building skills ‘handy’ as a volunteer worker at the Classic Boat Museum, where he worked on the restoration of the rowed lifeboat Queen Victoria, and the Uffa Fox Airborne Lifeboat.

A widower, Mr Collis is survived by three children, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren.