It was with great sadness that I heard about the death of Terry Midddleton by heart attack, on Sunday. He was 74. Terry was a member of the Latin Mass choir and concerns were raised when he did not appear for Easter Sunday Mass.
Terry has been a great support to me and I`m missing him. He was often the first to comment on the posts on this blog as 1569 Rising. Terry was very knowledgeable about the Rising and was scheduled to give a talk to the North East Catholic History Society in October to commemorate the 450th anniversary. He taught genealogy and was proud to have traced ancestors who took part in the Rising.
Terry sang in the choir here for the Extraordinary Form and also was regularly here for Low Mass on a Saturday morning when we would discuss the articles in the week`s Spectator magazine. He had served as a Conservative councillor in Gateshead and stood once for parliament in Berwick. I`m not going to say too much more lest I say everything I`ll be mentioning at his Requiem on May 13th but one of my favourite Terry stories was that he was asked to leave Ushaw seminary because he `had too much personality` to be a priest!
I`m sure we`ll be able to give Terry the Requiem he would love. Condolences to his daughter Emily of whom he was immensely proud.
May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace.
One of my most thoughtful Catholic friends died two years ago. I didn’t find out about it till a month or so after he died. We chatted on the phone a few times but he’s faded and passed away like so many other good things and people. I’m very grateful to have known men like Terry. I hope they can be advocates for us. I will certainly pray for their souls. Memory eternal!
ReplyDeleteSad news indeed. I much enjoyed many of '1569 Rising's comments to posts. May he RIP.
ReplyDeleteTerry has the legacy that he will be truly missed.Prayers assured for his soul.
ReplyDeletePaul@Ryhope
I echo all your comments, Fr Michael. Terry and I started st St Cuthbert's Grammar school on the same day in September 1956 and were classmates for two years until he went off to Ushaw College. His parents ran the post office in Rowlands Gill and Terry eventually took it over. I was always impressed by the name of their house - Godly Home. We lost touch for a number of years but were reunited when he started to attend at St. Joseph's. He had been decidedly unimpressed by the changes after Vatican II and 'discovered' the TLM by accident one Sunday when looking for a late morning Mass on Tyneside. When he realised it was the Mass according to 1962 he was a but concerned and rang a priest friend whom he knew from Ushaw days to ask if he had attended a valid Mass. When he was assured it was indeed valid he asked 'why he had been lied to for all of those years'. He told me it was 'like coming home'. Our little choir at Gateshead will miss him but I will miss greatly a friend of more than 60 years. May he rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteTerry was a 'gentle' man & Theresa & I will miss him terribly. When first we knew him he was looking after his terminally ill wife, Olive, & did so with great love & tenderness. I had the opportunity of meeting his greatly loved daughter, Emily, with whom he was in regular contact via Skype. His pride in her achievements shone out.
ReplyDeleteHe was a regular at our annual New Year's Eve dinner which he enjoyed & his company added so much to the evening.
He was one of the very few who kept in touch with us following our leaving St Joseph's & for that we will be eternally grateful.
Mass has already been celebrated for the repose of his soul & we hope that he rests in eternal peace. Several priest friends remember Terry with great warmth & were shocked at the suddenness of his passing.
We have lost a wonderful friend.
Thank you Father for this lovely post and to the others who have posted such nice comments.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing is.. he told me a completely different story about why he left Ushaw - involving God speaking to him in the night. I have included this version in his Eulogy which will be read at the Requiem Mass. I'll leave it in....Wonder which version was actually the truth!
A kind and generous man. May his dear soul rest in peace.
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