LEN PATTEN
Lifeboat Coxswain
By Rob Patten
Sad to report the passing of my father Len Patten.
He was a familiar face around Newhaven having arrived here in 1964 from Southampton with his wife Fran and son David, joining his mother Minnie, and brothers George, Jack and Brian. Len originally worked for Reg Gittings as a painter and decorator before being appointed full time Coxswain Mechanic of the Newhaven Lifeboat in 1976 a position he held until his retirement in 1988.
He continued to paint 'part time' around the town during his time as Coxswain Mechanic and would often been seen jogging towards the lifeboat house with his radio slung over his shoulder to fire off the maroons and call out the crew. He originally joined the lifeboat as a volunteer signalman in 1968 when the family moved from Meeching Road to Fort Road. At this time his brother George was 2nd Coxswain to Edgar Moore.
As the full time RNLI Coxswain he generally had a good working relationship with most of the characters around the harbour and was also used to promote the RNLI charity on national media because he looked like a lifeboatman.