The Venerable Norman Russell, former Archdeacon of Berkshire and one time prolocutor of the House of Clergy in General Synod died peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday morning September 30 in Frimley Park Hospital. He was 84. On return from a holiday in the Dolomites in the summer he had an onset of a very active form of leukemia in his neck and throat which made eating and speaking increasingly difficult. His family note that he was at peace and although very weak at the end, are thankful that he was not in great pain. “Norman’s Christian faith remained strong until the end and we take comfort in the knowledge that he has gone to be with the Lord.”
Norman Russell was born in 1942 and educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and Churchill College, Cambridge. After an earlier career as an accountant he was ordained in 1971. He began his ministry with curacies at Christ Church with Emmanuel, Clifton, Bristol and Christ Church, Cockfosters. He was Rector of Harwell with Chilton, Oxfordshire from 1977 to 1984 and then Priest in charge at St James, Gerrards Cross. Later he was Rural Dean of Amersham and after his appointment as Archdeacon Prolocutor of the Lower house of the Convocation of Canterbury. In these roles he was known for his firm stance for orthodox biblical teaching on faith and morals.
A thanksgiving service will be held at St Paul’s Camberly where he was helping out regularly.