Lakeland co-founder Dorothy Agnes Rayner died on Sunday, June 7 aged 99, just five weeks off what would have been her 100th birthday.

Dorothy was part of a large family of eight brothers and sisters who were the Dobson family, well known as grocers and pork butchers in Windermere who counted Beatrix Potter amongst their customers.

After attending Kelswick School in Ambleside then Kendal High School, she worked in Boots as a librarian (back in the day when Boots ran a library service as well as being a chemist).

Following the Second World War, she met a new arrival fresh out of the navy, Alan Rayner who had served in submarines during the war and had relocated to the Lakes.

They were married soon after and began a long and varied time together, working firstly in the Sudan in the early 1950s running a British Government sawmill.

On returning to Windermere, Dorothy ran a bed and breakfast, followed by time as a hotelier at the Oakthorpe (now called Lamplighters).

In the early 1960s, a fledgling business called Lakeland Poultry Packers supplying dressed birds to Dobson’s the Grocers turned into Lakeland Plastics, where Dorothy and Alan started selling packaging products for people buying the latest mod con called a freezer.

These were the foundations of the present-day Lakeland.

Dorothy’s three sons, Martin, Sam and Julian took over the business in 1975 and she continued to help out in the office and around the country.

After retirement, Dorothy was a regular and keen golfer at Windermere Golf Club, twice being Lady Captain as well as a trustee for the club. She also appreciated playing Bridge and singing in the choir and took great pleasure in being a member of the Soroptimists.

Described as ‘caring, industrious and public spirited,’ Dorothy died peacefully at Kendal Care Home and she leaves seven grandchildren (Ben, Simon, Rebecca, Oliver, Shelley, Matthew and Jenna) and five great grandchildren.

The whole family thank the dedicated and sympathetic care provided by a wonderful group of carers working in difficult conditions and her daughters-in-law who helped so much in her final years.