I would vote for Sir Patrick Moore who passed away in December last year at the age of 89. He presented a monthly TV program on astronomy from April 1957 to January 2013, having recorded his last edition just before he died. In all that time he missed just one broadcast when he was suffering from food poisoning.
Many of today's uk astronomers say they we're first inspired by Patrick. I didn't know him well but we had spoken on the phone a few times as well as by letter. He was always generous with his time, happy to share his extensive knowledge. His letters, books and articles were all typed on a 1908 typewriter until arthritis forced him to use more modern keyboards.
During the Apollo era, he was always seen on TV reporting on the missions and puffing away on his pipe. He smoked on the program until the rules about showing smoking on TV were changed.
At the outbreak of WWII he lied about his age so he could join the air force as a navigator. He flew many missions and took part in the rescue of survivors from a concentration camp. As a result he always advocated peace and cooperation rather than the horror of total warfare.
He never married as his fiancé was killed by a bomb during an air raid - he always said he could not marry because he knew how would be settling for second best. When, in his 80s he was asked if he still thought of his late fiancé, he replied that, occasionally, he could go a few moments without missing her.
His hand drawn maps of the Moon were used by both the Americans and Russians during the early days of space flight. He met one of the Wright Brothers, during his flight training and interviewed every astronaut to walk on the Moon. He accompanied Einstein on the piano when he sang at a party in London and was a life long friend of Arthur C Clark, the author and inventor of the communication satellite.
He will be missed by many and enjoyed his pipe from his Air force days until very late in life. A real and true British eccentric who inspired many.
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