‘Fly free’: Tributes pour in for former Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire Tony Worth

People across the county are sharing tributes and memories of former Lord Lieutenant for Lincolnshire and the creator of the International Bomber Command Memorial Trust Tony Worth, who has died aged 77.

Tony Worth CVO was the driving force behind the International Bomber Command Centre on Canwick Hill in Lincoln.

The sad announcement of his death was made by the IBCC team on the morning of Friday, November 10.

The news came just months before the visitor centre was outlined for completion and hours before school children gathered at the memorial spire for a special remembrance service.

In a statement, the IBCC team explained he had passed away following a short battle with cancer. They said “he will be sorely missed by many people whose lives he touched”.

A great friend to Lincolnshire

North Kesteven District Council Leader Richard Wright described Tony Worth as a great friend to the area and a strong advocate for Lincolnshire.

Councillor Wright said: “We are saddened to hear of Tony’s passing and send our condolences to his family and friends.

“The work he did to get the International Bomber Command Centre off the ground cannot be underestimated, ensuring the heroic efforts of the Bomber Command is remembered for generations to come.

“He will be terribly missed by us all. North Kesteven and Lincolnshire have lost a true friend.”

Achievements

Tony Worth was appointed as Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Lincolnshire in 2008. He married his wife Jenny in 1964 and spent three years as a Farm Management Consultant in Victoria, Australia before returning to England to manage the family firm A H Worth & Co Limited in Holbeach Marsh in 1968.

He was High Sheriff of Lincolnshire in 1990/91, appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for Lincolnshire in 1994 and became Vice Lord-Lieutenant in 2002.

Photo: Emily Norton

He was President of the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society and a member of council. He was also a member of the Board of the Country Land & Business Association, a member of the Board of Governors of the University of Lincoln and a member of the Lincolnshire Probation Board, having served as Chairman from 1999 to 2001.

Tony Worth outlined his vision for the International Bomber Command Centre over five years ago, a memorial and education centre to mark the sacrifice of the Bomber Command aircrew who felt from Lincolnshire in World Ward 2.

Read his column published in The Lincolnite in 2013.

The project, for which final fundraising efforts are ongoing, is expected to officially open to the public in January 2018, with a special opening ceremony planned for April.