ONE of the longest-serving and most respected personalities in the Cumbria tourism industry, Mrs. Sheila Hensman, has died following a short illness, aged 85.

As well as being a long-serving supporter of the county’s tourism industry, Mrs. Hensman, the middle daughter of Lord Wakefield of Kendal, was also a dedicated businesswoman, an active community figure and a member of one of Lakeland’s most prominent and successful families.

The Wakefield family operates Lake District Estates Co. Limited, based at Kendal, and its portfolio of tourism enterprises includes the Hill of Oaks Caravan Park, Windermere, Woodclose Caravan Park, Kirkby Lonsdale, and Waterfoot Caravan Park, Ullswater.

The business also includes two leading attractions, Ullswater Steamers and the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, and Mrs. Hensman held the position of senior director for all three companies.

Born on 29th April, 1922, the Hon. Sheila Hensman joined what was then Cumbria Tourist Board in 1971. In 1990, she was elected chairman, an honorary position held today by broadcaster Eric Robson, and she remained in the position until 1996.

In 1992, she was made an OBE in the New Year’s Honours List in recognition of her service to Cumbria’s tourism industry and two years later she was unanimously chosen as Cumbria’s Tourism Personality of the Year.

In 1996, she became president of Cumbria Tourist Board, succeeding Lord Whitelaw. She was president until 2004 when she was succeeded by Lord Inglewood, whose family runs Hutton-in-the-Forest, Penrith.

Leading the tributes to a “hugely dedicated and genteel tourism stalwart,” Cumbria Tourism chief executive Ian Stephens said the whole of the industry’s thoughts were with Mrs. Hensman’s family.

He said staff at Cumbria Tourism and its commercial members were extremely “saddened and sorry” by the news.

Mr. Stephens said: “She made a unique and fantastic contribution to the tourism industry in Cumbria for decades which was rightly recognised with the OBE. Even later into her life she continued to support the role of the tourism industry and the value of it in providing jobs and sustaining the economy here. On a personal note, Mrs. Hensman has been a great friend and mentor to me and many others at Cumbria Tourism, always so supportive and kind. I was privileged to be at many formal and informal events with Mrs. Hensman where she was always poised and dignified.”