It is with great sadness that we share news of the passing of The Right Reverend Dr John Waine, father of The Dean of Chichester, The Very Reverend Stephen Waine.
After attending Manchester University, Bishop John attended Ridley Hall Theological College, Cambridge. After becoming Deacon in 1955 and Priest in 1956 there followed incumbencies in Ditton, Southport and Kirby. When this led to his becoming Bishop Suffragan of Stafford in 1975, he was the youngest Bishop in the Church of England. Bishop John went on to be Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich from 1978 -1986, and then Bishop of Chelmsford, a position that he held from 1986 until his retirement in 1996. He entered the House of Lords in 1985 and was Honorary Assistant Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich since 2008.
Bishop John was also Chaplain to the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers of London for 23 years until retiring from the post in 2011. He was appointed Clerk of the Closet to the Queen in 1989, upon relinquishing the post in 1996 he became a KCVO, a personal gift from the Queen. Other positions including membership of the Press Complaints Committee from 1997 to 2010, Chaplain of the Order of Saint John in 1983 and he became World Prelate to the Order from 1999 to 2007.
Bishop John married Patricia Haikney in 1957, together having three sons, grandchildren and step-grandchildren. A frequent visitor to Chichester, all at the Cathedral were delighted to see him officiate at the marriage of his son Stephen and wife Lizzie at the Cathedral in 2015.
The thoughts and prayers of the Cathedral community are with all Bishop John’s family and friends.
The funeral service of The Right Reverend Dr John Waine will be livestreamed to the Facebook page of St Edmundsbury Cathedral on Thursday 21st January at 12.00pm.
If people are not able to join ‘live’ then they will be able to view the service from the St Edmundsburys Cathedral's Facebook Video page: facebook.com/stedscathedral/videos
Click here to download the Order of Service.
Image: Ash Mills