Cowboy, fisherman, broadcaster, teacher, Zen master are just some of the titles for Tom Lodge, the grandson of radio pioneer Sir Oliver Lodge.

Born on April 16 1936 in Surrey England, his family moved to the USA four years later, although Tom returned to a UK boarding school. Aged 18 Tom travelled to Canada to become a cowboy. He later became a fisherman, before joining the Canadian broadcaster CBC. Following a posting back to the UK, with CBC, Tom had a chance meeting in a pub, with Ronan O’Rahilly who was in the process of setting up Radio Caroline. This led to a new job and Tom Lodge was heard on Radio Caroline in Summer 1964, going on to become their chief disc jockey.

After Radio Caroline, Tom moved back to Canada, setting up a training course for record engineers and producers at Fanshawe University in Ontario.

Back in England in 1995, Tom appeared on several Radio Caroline short term restricted service licence (RSL) broadcasts from London and off Clacton. Around this time, Chris Edwards interviewed Tom, when he opened the National Wireless Museum. Shortly after Tom Lodge was our guest at Euroradio in Calais.

Since then, finding enlightenment, Umi Tom has run the Stillpoint Zen Community in Santa Cruz California.

Recently on inding that he had cancer, and given a medical diagnosis of having only a short time to live, Tom viewed this calmly as another of life’s adventures.

Tom Lodge passed away on March 25 2012, aged 75. Our thoughts, sympathy and love go to his family and many friends.