Former Belgrave Harriers president Pat Mead died at her Ewell home last friday night after a serious illness.

She died, aged 65, just 48 hours after daughter Hazel, 33, followed in the footsteps of both of her parents in becoming president of the club.

Pat joined the former Selsonia Ladies Club, based at Tooting Bec, aged 11 and when it disbaned in the 1970s started training at Belgrave Hall, helping to drive the decision of the all-male club to admit women members from July 1976.

Around this time, she organised open meetings for the Southern Counties Athletics Association at Crystal Palace as well as their championships.

She also acted as pilot on the back of a motorbike for the Belgrave 12-stage road relay in Wimbledon, produced results for a variety of meetings, typed material for the club magazine The Belgravian, and operatic the electronic scoreboard for international meetings at Crystal Palace.

After retiring from active athletics, Mead qualified as a track judge and often acted as track referee.

In the six years she managed their men’s Rosenheim League team, Belgrave won all 42 matches and she was elected club president in 1998.

Her funeral will be held at Putney Vale Crematorium on October 18 (noon), followed by a reception at Nonsuch Mansion House in Nonsuch Park.

There will be family flowers only and donations should be made to the Princess Alice Hospice via funeral directors A & E Longhurst of 21-23 Kingston Road, Ewell, KT17 2DX.