The Church of Ireland has been wonderfully blessed in having a never-ending succession of outstanding lay members who have given devoted service at all levels of Church life. Godfrey Quayle occupies an honourable and well-deserved place in that succession. For forty years from 1960 to 2000 he held many of the major positions open to laity in the Church of Ireland. Elected to the General Synod in 1960 he was appointed to the Standing Committee and to the General Synod Board of Education in 1967. For almost forty years he represented his Diocese as an Episcopal Electoral Representative.

Over those years Godfrey brought his outstanding gifts and his tremendous enthusiasm into many areas of diocesan life in Down and Dromore. First elected to the Diocesan Council in 1961 he became Lay Honorary Secretary for Down in 1966, a position he held for thirty-four years. In this key position he was directly involved in so many aspects of the Diocese including finance, glebes and education. His enthusiasm knew no limits and his commitment to the Diocese never waned over all the years.

He never saw himself merely as an administrator. He was a “hands-on” person and had little time or patience for bureaucrats. He was like a rugby player – on seeing the line he tucked the ball firmly under his arm, put his head down and was hard to stop.

Godfrey never let high and important positions in the Church go to his head. His pride in serving the Church of Ireland at national level and his tireless work for the Diocese never diminished his involvement in his parish. St.Finnian’s Church and Cregagh Parish were very dear to his heart. His service at local level not only included being a member of the Select Vestry, a Churchwarden and a Parochial Nominator but a “Jack of all trades” when it came to practical things regarding the church building, the church halls and church grounds. In spite of holding important positions in the Diocese he saw himself as an ordinary parishioner of St.Finnian’s willing to take on the most mundane of tasks. He was always prepared to roll up his sleeves and was never afraid of getting his hands dirty. We often said, “Godfrey Quayle is no white-collar worker!” In addition to his professional job as an engineer, his numerous diocesan responsibilities and his golf he would climb on to the mower and cut the grass in the church grounds. During my fourteen years as Rector of St.Finnian’s I never ceased to admire him. How he found the time and the energy I’ll never know.

At the heart of everything and providing the motivation was his deep love for the Church of Ireland. Nothing was too much trouble and nothing was too small as to be of no importance. He inherited his love and respect for the Church of Ireland from his parents. During the late fifties when I was a curate in Downpatrick I remember his father and mother who attended their parish church on Sunday mornings coming to Evensong in Down Cathedral. I can picture them very clearly and I knew them before I ever met Godfrey.

An appointment which surprised him and pleased him greatly was when the Archbishop of Armagh appointed him a Lay Canon in 1997. It was a fitting tribute to one who had given so much to the Church of Ireland.

When I think of Godfrey I always think of Leo his wife who died almost nine years ago. Leo was a kind and loveable woman who in her patient way exercised a great influence on Godfrey and on their family. Her death was a great loss for everyone but for Godfrey it was a very deep painful experience. His awareness of what he had lost in Leo seemed to grow greater with the passing of time. Bereavement is a strange experience and for some the pain of grief is made more acute by feelings of anger and frustration which can lead to bitterness.

In recent times Godfrey had to endure acute physical pain and discomfort. His deteriorating health meant that his mobility was greatly reduced and his world steadily shrank. For a person who previously had such energy and drive and who was immersed in so many activities this was a heavy cross to bear.

At a funeral service I always feel for the immediate family. When we all leave they are left with their memories, thoughts and feelings. There can be a sense of loneliness, even isolation. On a sad day like this we want to assure Godfrey’s sister Pauline, his brother Herbert, his family Hedley and Janet, Peter and Helen, Christine and Rosemary and Andrew and the grandchildren Philip, Andrew, Catherine, Ian, Alex and Patrick that it has been a privilege to be with them and to assure them of our love and support. May God heal their pain, renew their spirits and help them to journey on in His love and peace.

The writer of the Epistle to the Romans gives us words of faith and hope for an occasion like this -

“I am sure that neither death nor life, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Love is stronger than death.

We leave our friend and brother Godfrey in God’s hands. May he rest in God’s love and peace.