Rector, 69, dies on Gulf mission

PRAYERS . . . Rev David Quance

A FORMER rector of a Failsworth church has died while working abroad.

The Rev David Quance (69), former rector of St John’s Church, Failsworth, would have celebrated his 70th birthday today.

He died in a Kuwait hospital after suffering a heart attack earlier this month while on duty for the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf.

Mr Quance joined St John’s in the early 1980s. He caused a storm among his Failsworth parishioners in 1994 by declaring that no women priests would be allowed to preach in his church. He stayed at St John’s until the following year, moving to Christ Church, Healey, Rochdale.

Churches across Greater Manchester, including St Hilda’s in Prestwich and St Mary Magdalene in Eccles have said prayers for the popular clergyman.

Mary Still, deputy church warden at St John’s, said: “He was a very kind and very genuine person, but also jovial, you could have a joke with him. When our current rector was off with ill health over the past 12 months, he covered most of our services, weddings and baptisms until he was called to work in Kuwait.”

A requiem mass will be held on Wednesday at 11.30am at his home church of St Michael and All Angels, Flower Lane, Mill Hill, London, followed by committal at Hendon Crematorium at 1pm. A memorial service at St John’s Church is being planned for after Easter.