The Revd Norman G. Norgate

17^th February 1932 - 7^th November 2021

Norman was born and grew up in Portsmouth, the eldest of 3 children with 2 younger sisters Babs and Penny. He was evacuated to Winchester during the war where he spent several very happy years with his grandmother and aunts. He attended Portsmouth Northern Grammar School for Boys where he was proud to have received the School Prize for Latin in 1949 (appropriately The Myths of Greece and Rome).

He was awarded a state scholarship to read Mathematics at Queens’ and he matriculated in 1952 after national service with the Royal Navy Signals in Northern Ireland. Having come to Christian faith in the Navy, he switched to Theology after one year. He ended up at Ridley Hall to undertake training for ministry. It was at Cambridge that he met his lifelong friend, Peter Bustin, who was also at Queens’.

Norman started his first curacy at St Paul’s Northumberland Heath where he met his wife to be, Isla McLaren. As she taught in the Sunday school, they were not allowed to meet in the parish! They got around this and were married in 1959. A family of 3 boys followed soon afterwards – Jonathan (who also went to Queens’), Peter and David.

His second curacy was at St Stephen’s Twickenham before serving as vicar at St Peter’s Bexleyheath, then St Mary of Bethany Woking (where he had a couple of stints as an RE teacher at Woking Boys Grammar School, much to the chagrin of two of his sons). His final parish was at St James’ with St Philip’s Tunbridge Wells. His career spanned 40 years during which time he positively influenced many lives.

Retirement took Norman and Isla (and Peter and Anne Bustin) to Bury St Edmunds. Norman continued his ministry until he was 75, both at St Mary’s Bury St Edmunds and in local villages (St Andrew’s Timworth being a favourite). Sadly, Isla died in 2000 which left a huge gap in his life. He continued with his passion for ornithology, which was passed on to all three sons (and beyond). His sister, Penny, described him as “A gentle and caring man, who gave so much love and care to so many. It was a joy to have known him”.

Jonathan Norgate

3^rd February 2022