Chester Diocese
News item
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The Revd Glenys Brown R.I.P. FAMILY members, friends and parishioners packed St Chad’s Church, Winsford, for the funeral of the much-loved Vicar of Over St Chad, the Revd Glenys Brown. More than 340 people attended the funeral service held on Tuesday, July 27, for Mrs Brown - who died shortly after collapsing while taking morning service on Sunday, July 18. Extra chairs had to be borrowed to fit in all the mourners. The Rural Dean of Middlewich, the Revd Michael Ridley, led the service. The commendation and farewell was read by the Bishop of Hulme, the Rt Revd Stephen Lowe. A final blessing was given by the Bishop of Chester, the Rt Revd Dr Peter Forster. Glenys Brown had been vicar to the parish – her first incumbency – for nearly two years. She was ordained deacon in Manchester Diocese in 1999 and was priested the following year. Previously a teacher, she had been head of religious education at Hulme Girls Grammar School, Oldham, Lancs. She had recently celebrated her 47th birthday and her 18th wedding anniversary. Mrs Brown is survived by her husband, David, a lecturer at University College Chester, and by her mother, father and brother in her home town of Wigan, Lancs. David Brown wrote the eulogy which was read at the funeral service by a friend of Glenys, the Revd Barry Letson. Mr Letson told the congregation: “Glenys has died tragically young, many would say, and certainly she expected to be around for a long time to come yet. Her death came without warning, without indications of ill health, and has shocked everyone. “But no-one was better prepared to meet her God; she was constantly aware that we don’t know the time or place death will arrive, and she was ready. “Many people have already realised that Glenys’s last moments of consciousness were right here in the church she loved so much, with the people she loved so well, doing what she loved so fiercely. “I don’t mean the ‘job’ of a vicar, I mean the spreading of the Good News, the work for God’s Kingdom. She was here, at the lectern, preaching …about friendship (when she collapsed).” The eulogy continued: “Glenys was a friend to all of us here – in fact she was the best friend of a lot of us, yet not one of us would feel jealous that we were sharing her, because she gave herself 100 per cent to each of us and had a gift of being able to make herself one with whoever she was with.” Mr Letson added: “Now we are confused, angry, hurting, asking why. But is there anyone here who wishes they had never met Glenys, and so avoid the pain we share today? I don’t think so. “She gave us a hard act to follow, but she did expect it to be followed. She loved simplicity and distrusted ‘rule books’ but she might well have added a third commandment to the two that Jesus gave as the way to heaven: Love God; Love one another; Get on with it. For Glenys’s sake, and for God’s sake, let’s get on with it.” Glenys Brown had considered healthy right up to her sudden death. A post mortem examination was carried during the latter part of July. The cause of death was given as hypertension-related heart disease. She was cremated at Crewe Crematorium. Her ashes will be interred in the graveyard at Over St Chad at a later date. (30/07/04 )
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Glenys pictured with her dog Megan on holiday earlier this year.
Glenys in church. |
