In memoriam Bill John

Clare emailed me this afternoon to tell me of the death in his late eighties of Bill John, lifelong member and one of the stalwarts of St John's City Parish Church, and Lay Reader Emeritus. Sadly he didn't live to meet the new priest in charge: Canon Sarah Rowland Jones, inducted just a week ago.

Bill was a Burma Star veteran, one of the last remaining, and took part in their annual service, as long as he was fit to do so. At the end of World War Two, before he was repatriated, he lost a kidney, and did well to have survived to such a great age.

This for me is a personal loss, not only because he was the eminence grise gently offering wide and sound advice during my time at St John's, but back in my youth, from 1956-61 he was a Grammar School History teacher in Pengam and taught me up to O level - I think I learned perspective as part of understanding life's affairs from him. During our latter years together at St John's I was able to thank him for that.

Sadly, I won't be around in person to share in celebrating his life and passing, but with his life-long involvement in the Church in Wales, its education programme and its governance, there will be no shortage of distinguished people there, from the Archbishop downwards.

His welcome ministry to parishioners and visitors to St John's, always at the door after services to meet and greet people went back decades, and in a way has left its mark on the building. The west porch has lately been transformed, must to everybody's delight. Bill didn't see it completed. He stood next to the old porch every Sunday he was at church greeting people with his kind smile. 

Ironically his fall and the broken hip he sustained in the very spot where he stood, often warning others of the trip hazard, was a catalyst that started an urgent project which took five years to complete. Common sense and duty of care were overshadowed by due process. But Bill did everything by due process, and counselled patient compliance with regulations.

You didn't argue with that. He was one of those who'd put his life on the line for the freedom to do things properly, both in the church and the world. He was a great educator - the kind we need more than ever today.

May he rest in peace and rise in glory.