Claire Rayner (1931-2010), Vice-President (2004-2010) and former President (1999-2004) of the British Humanist Association, Honorary Associate of the Rationalist Association and National Secular Society and Vice President of the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association.

From knowing little about organised Humanism, Claire became one of the UK’s foremost advocates of Humanist philosophy and causes – and of the need for Humanist organisations to support that Humanism.  In a contribution to the BHA’s membership leaflet she said, ‘I was a humanist without knowing it for many years before I found the Association – when I did, it was like finding a sort of home. Here were people with a range of views that matched mine, who shared my respect for life in all its forms and who, above all, did not in any way try to bully other people to follow their beliefs.’

Her warm and enthusiastic support for the BHA’s work spanned the full range of our concerns, from promotion of Humanist weddings and funerals, to campaigns for freedom of speech, against the blasphemy law, against the teaching of creationism in schools, against government support for the expansion of maintained religious schools and for a public holiday on Charles Darwin’s birthday. She was a keen advocate of having Humanism treated alongside religions in the school curriculum, saying, ‘Children must be given the opportunity to learn about Humanism as a belief system as well as about religions as belief systems... The humanist view of things is positive and offers much to a properly rounded education about modern beliefs and values.'

Receiving little affection or intellectual stimulation from her parents, she was more fortunate in her schooling, which introduced her to writers such as Mill, Paine, and Wollstonecraft. She named her schoolteacher as her own ‘Humanist Hero’ in June this year.

Her strong concern for others led her to a first career in nursing, and to a later one as Britain’s favourite “agony aunt”, during which she gave perceptive, compassionate and practical advice to many thousands of people. She is best known as a journalist, author, broadcaster, campaigner and patron of countless good causes, and much loved for her warmth, frankness and vast energy.

Her life-long rationalism remained unshaken when in 2003 she almost died as a result of complications after a routine operation. Asked on national radio whether the hallucinations she had experienced during her “near death experience” involved seeing God, she replied: ‘No. I am a Humanist… And I saw no long tunnels with lights at the end – I mean, those sort of out-of-body experiences that people are supposed to have, or last-minute experiences before they are dragged back, I think they are effects of hypoxia, a lack of oxygen.’ She also said, ‘I was an atheist when it started and I remain one. People used to say to me “You wait until something really bad happens, you’ll start praying”, but I didn’t and I can’t. I don’t put [my recovery] down to any superior being, I put it down to the superb training and skill of the people looking after me.’

Claire was a remarkable woman with broad interests and deep sympathies who lived an exemplary Humanist life and we all feel lucky to have known her and to have had her support for so many enjoyable years.

-- Andrew Copson
Andrew Copson is Chief Executive of British Humanist Association and Vice-President, IHEU.