Robin Masefield made significant contributions to prisons, policing and parading in Northern Ireland during a long career in public service.
His most public role was as director general of the NI Prison Service from 2004 to 2010.
Prior to that he had headed the team that implemented the recommendations of the Patten commission, and worked on the establishment of the Parades Commission.
Born in Oxfordshire, Robin was first recruited to the new Northern Ireland Office in 1973 and, after periods in Hong Kong and at the Home Office, returned to Belfast in 1985.
He spent time in the Anglo-Irish Secretariat and played a crucial role behind the scenes in the North Report of 1997, supporting a panel comprising Oxford University Vice-Chancellor Dr Peter North, Very Rev John Dunlop and Father Oliver Crilly in setting out a way forward on parading following the Drumcree crisis.
This led to the establishment of the Parades Commission, now considered a model for such issues.
He also led the team implementing the recommendations of the Independent Commission on Policing, chaired by Chris Patten, which saw the RUC replaced by the PSNI.
He later co-authored a book with inaugural Policing Board chairman Desmond Rea, entitled ‘Policing in Northern Ireland: Delivering the New Beginning?’
Former NIO colleague Mark Larmour said: “His attention to detail was crucial as every aspect of policing reform and legislation in parliament was under scrutiny from both unionist and nationalist politicians.
“Robin’s final post was as director general of the Prison Service, where he led the organisation through changes in the run-up to the devolution of criminal justice and policing in Northern Ireland in 2010.
“He helped to change the Prison Service from a security focus to one that promoted prisoners’ rehabilitation instead,” he told The Guardian.
In retirement, Robin pursued an interest in local history, writing books including ‘The World Administered by Irishmen’, about the contribution of Irish people to public administration in east Asia.
He was also very active in his local community, with North Down MLA Stephen Dunne telling the assembly he became known as “Mr Helen’s Bay”.
Appointed CBE in 2003, Robin Masefield was married to Rosemary and had three children.
He died last month aged 73 after a short illness.
** The Irish News publishes a selection of readers’ obituaries each Saturday. Families or friends are invited to send in accounts of anyone they feel has made a contribution to their community or simply led an interesting or notable life. Call Aeneas Bonner on 028 9040 8360 or email a.bonner@irishnews.com.