Rachel Dickson, MBE, who died peacefully on 6 August just six months before her centenary, was a Patron of the Richmond Society for nearly three decades.

Trained as an architect, she was an early member of the Society when it was set up in 1957 and became a Patron in 1990.

She served as a Liberal Councillor for Kew from 1971 to 1974, and for Richmond Hill from 1978 to 1986 when she was Deputy Mayor of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.

Dickson House was opened as a space for studio workshops in 1989 on Queen’s Road Estate, where 400 subsidised homes were built, and named for her work with Richmond Parish Lands Charity, whose Chairman she became in 1985.

Rachel Dickson was active in many local charities, in recognition of which she was awarded an MBE for her dedication to helping and engaging with Richmond residents. Those with which she was associated included almshouses in Richmond, distributing poppy collecting boxes, the Council for Voluntary Services, mental health support organisation RABMIND, Richmond Forum Lunches, Single People’s Emergency Accommodation in Richmond (SPEAR), and the Vineyard Project. She was also interested in penal policy and subsidised housing.

Richmond’s former Team Ministry Rector Julian Reindorp dubbed her ‘Mrs Richmond’.

She leaves two sons, grandchildren and great grandchildren to whom we offer our deepest sympathy. Her eldest son predeceased her in 2013.