A correspondent writes:

CANON James Philip Brown died peacefully on 9 March, aged 87. He leaves his wife, Gill, after 59 years of marriage, and four sons and ten grandchildren.

Born in Yelverton, Devon, Philip was a deeply religious man. He was ordained priest in St Albans Cathedral in 1957, and gave his life to his ministry in the Church. This ministry was characterised by a strong focus on pastoral care, and a belief that the Christian faith should be centred on love, inclusion, and forgiveness. One of the highlights of his life was to celebrate 60 years as a priest in September 2017, just six months before his death. Philip was also passionate about the issue of social justice, within the context of both international development and domestic inequality.

After an education at Blundell’s School in Devon, the University of Oxford, and Westcott House, Cambridge, he served his title in Hemel Hempstead. He went on to hold incumbencies at Hellesdon in Norwich, and Kirkley in Lowestoft, both in Norwich diocese, and in the Northleach group of parishes in Gloucester diocese. In Gloucester, he was appointed rural dean and an Hon. Canon of Gloucester Cathedral; these appointments reflected his ability to provide spiritual guidance to clergy and others. After retiring in 1995, he and Gill moved to back to Devon, to Teignmouth, close to his beloved Dartmoor. Philip continued to provide spiritual guidance and pastoral care to others in need almost until the end of his life. For several years he was a voluntary chaplain at HM Prison Channings Wood, near Newton Abbot.

As well as serving this life in the Church, Philip was a loving and committed family man. He will be deeply missed by Gill, his sons, the wider family, and by the many people he touched during his life.