A dedicated volunteer throughout his lifetime, Tony Smith took on many roles over a number of decades.

Helping his family as well as work colleagues and club members at both county and country levels, his thoughtfulness will be remembered by all who knew him.

Tony was born on January 21, 1941, in Croydon in South London.

His mother died during his early teens just after he received a scholarship to nearby Whitgift Independent School.

Tony started working life in London and spent a short time in Edinburgh before being relocated to Norfolk with his wife Diana. Here they had two children, Joanna and Linda, and subsequently five grandchildren.

While working full-time he was also involved in the cub scouts, running the 29th Norwich, St Peter Mancroft pack. He also organised the cub football league, driving players around in his beloved blue Dormobile.

Swimming became a lifelong passion; not actually in the water, as he was quite a weak swimmer, but on poolside officiating, going to galas, and attending meetings.

One of his roles was treasurer of Norwich Penguins, now the University of East Anglia’s City of Norwich Swimming Club. It had a membership in excess of 1,200 and Tony did the role without the aid of online payments, mobile phones or computers.

He was instrumental in the building of the first ever-changing rooms at the Hewett School pool and was part of the committee that employed the club's first full-time paid coach. During this time Norwich Penguins won the National League Final, held at Crystal Palace.

He was an extremely active official and as a British swimming referee, he was a lead referee for all of Norfolk’s County galas and many Level One, Two and Three galas. At one time, he was one of only three qualified referees in Norfolk.

For 30 years he was assistant honorary secretary for Norfolk County Amateur Swimming Association, where he steered the county through many changes.

Tony had yet another county role as a member of the finance committee, assisting the county treasurer, and was also secretary of the County Emergency Committee.

In 1996, he became Norfolk County president and was responsible for county officials' training and examinations. He would go on to represent Norfolk on the East Region Swimming Officials group.

Tony received various awards during his long service to swimming and in 2016 he was presented with the Jeff Cook Salver Award for an individual, team or club who has made a significant contribution to the sport within Swim England East Region.

Paying tribute, his swimming family said: “Tony was passionate about swimming and always had the swimmer’s interests at heart.

“His standards were extremely high and ingrained within Norfolk swimming, something we continue to emulate.”

During retirement, he continued working within the swimming world but also took up rambling with the Wensum Group Ramblers. For many years, he organised the annual walking programmes, attended rambler meetings and arranged social events. With his wife, the couple also helped Sue Walker plan, test and publish weekly walks in the EDP.

Tony also volunteered as a driver, then named Car-Link, helping eligible adults get to essential health, social and well-being services. This was a full circle move from his time driving the band the HI-FI's in his hand-painted Dormobile, later to be replaced by a blue one.

His daughter, Joanna Randell, added: “On the Norfolk badge it says ‘Ich dien' which in German means 'I serve' - Dad certainly did this in bucket loads.

“The Scout law says a Scout should be trusted, loyal, friendly, considerate, have courage, makes good use of time, be careful with possessions and property, have self-respect and respected others. I think Dad lived his whole life by these laws.”

Mr Smith died at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital on Saturday, October 15, aged 81. He leaves behind his wife, children and grandchildren.