My father, John Fitch, who has died aged 93, captained a landing craft during the D-day landings in Normandy of 6 June 1944. After the second world war he became a psychologist working in the prison service, from 1962 onwards at HMP Wormwood Scrubs in west London.

Son of Dorothy (nee Fowling), who had been in service before her marriage, and Horace Fitch, a civil servant, John was born in Brockley, south London. He went to Dulwich college, then Oxford University, to study French and German. Before the end of his first year he joined the navy.

In later years, he could never be drawn on his wartime experiences. He was posted for part of his service in the far east and it was during this time that he grew his trademark beard, which remained with him throughout his life.

After the war, he decided that, instead of returning to Oxford, he would like to study psychology, and so went to Reading, one of the few universities offering what was a relatively new academic course. On graduating he entered the prison service as a psychologist. An early job took him to Bristol, where he met Dorothy Brown through a mutual love of the arts. They married in 1953 and went on to have four daughters.

When John took early retirement from the civil service in the 1970s, he and Dorothy moved from London to Widemouth Bay, Cornwall, and spent many happy years embracing rural life. Both were keen gardeners, ramblers and stalwarts of local art, music and poetry societies. John indulged his love of literature, music and watching sport from his armchair. He was a lifelong supporter of the Labour party and an avid reader of the Guardian (and contributor to its letters page).

Dorothy died in 1999, and a few years later John moved to Sidmouth, Devon, to be closer to his family.

He was a devoted father – loving, encouraging, supportive and interested in all we did – and inspired us with an inquiring mind, a sense of duty and fairness, and a love of red wine.

John is survived by his daughters Juliana, Emma and me, nine granddaughters and four great-grandchildren. His daughter Henrietta died in 2014.