A Service of Thanksgiving for the Life and Work of Lord Dearing CB

Tuesday, 7th July 2009

A Service of Thanksgiving for the Life and Work of Lord Dearing CB was held at St Margaret’s Church on Tuesday 7th July 2009.

In his Bidding, Canon Robert Wright, the Rector of St Margaret’s, said:

We have come together today to give thanks for the life and work of the Lord Dearing of Kingston upon Hull. A man of tremendous influence across the whole spectrum of education, Ron Dearing was a legend in his own lifetime whether we are talking of the teaching of modern foreign languages, the reform and funding of universities, or the vision of the Church of England schools for the 21st century.

A Yorkshireman by birth and conviction, Ron worked his way through to senior positions in the Civil Service, chaired important national bodies and organisations, served on the boards of various companies, and sat in the House of Lords for the last 11 years. Always down to earth, hardworking and tenacious, Ron was upheld in this remarkable life of public service by his wife Margaret, and their two daughters Erica and Rebecca. Ron Dearing’s humility is attested by many stories: he demonstrated his support for Oxfam by working in the backroom of his local Oxfam shop.