John had been born in Leicester in 1933, the youngest of five children and went on to Alderman Newton Grammar School. He attended Sunday school, committed his life to Christ at the age of 14 and was received into membership of the Methodist Church in 1952. In the youth club, there, he met Beryl; they married in 1955 and had three children. Although his son died tragically in 2005, two daughters outlive him.
In 1960 he became a Methodist lay preacher; although somewhat disillusioned he subsequently left the Methodist Church, though retaining his Christian faith. He joined St Peter's, our sister church in Oadby in 1980 and was confirmed.
At work, John started as a buyer for an engineering company, but then went as a mature student to train in Birmingham as a Probation Officer and joined the Service in Leicester.
In 1988 he suffered a massive stroke which affected both his speech and mobility. He and Beryl joined St Paul's in 1988, a few years after it had been founded. They subsequently moved to Oadby, where they shared a house with their friends Gordon and Diane.
Inevitably, John's stroke curtailed what he was able to do, but he was still more active than many others in full health. He prepared the churches monthly "prayer starts." With Beryl, he was a Home Group leader, the church's representative for the Evangelical Alliance, also for "Churches Together in Oadby" and the church's contact person for their CMS mission partner, Jane Jerrard.
John was an inspiration in the way that he managed to overcome his difficulties with a warm smile. You could rely on his presence at prayer meetings. His mobility scooter was not only a means of transport but even a means of Charity fundraising as he joined the "Ride and Stride" sponsored visit to Leicestershire churches.
A "well done Good and Faithful Servant" awaits him in heaven. He will be much missed here. Our thoughts and prayers are with Beryl, his family and his friends. His funeral is at St Paul’s at 12:30 on Friday 19 October.
