A Kindertransport refugee who worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the Holocaust and the experiences of the Kinder has died aged 96.

Ann Kirk BEM died shortly before Holocaust Memorial Day and only weeks after her husband, Bob, a fellow Kindertransport refugee, passed away at the beginning of December.

Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, paid tribute to Ann, saying she was “deeply saddened” to hear of her death.

“Ann dedicated her later life to Holocaust education, tirelessly sharing her testimony with thousands of young people across the country.

“She spoke with remarkable warmth, compassion, and resilience, often alongside her beloved husband, Bob…”

Ann was born Hannah Kuhn in Berlin in 1928, escaping to the UK in 1938 after Kristallnacht, a pogrom which saw Nazis destroy synagogues and Jewish-owned shops, businesses and homes in Germany and Austria.

As she boarded the train, it was the last time Ann saw either of her parents, who were deported to Auschwitz in 1942.

Once in England, Ann was looked after by two sisters, Sophie and Millie Levy and met her husband at a club for young Jewish refugees. The couple married in 1950.

Last January, Ann and Bob jointly received the Jewish Volunteering Network’s Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of 70 years of supporting the Liberal Jewish Synagogue with its endeavours, including education and leadership. The couple later became vice presidents of Liberal Judaism.

Speaking at the JVN event, Benita Hart, chair of the LJS, told guests she had nominated the Kirks because they had led “lives of service, dedication, love and loyalty….They have led by example and their humanity shines through.”

Ann and Bob are survived by two sons and three grandchildren.