Man Of God And Humanity

Newcastle Herald

Monday June 11, 2007

Stacey Dombkins

There are many funny stories about Father Bob but, writes Stacey Domkins, there was a deep river of care in his heart.

OBITUARY

ROBERT GEORGE

WINDER

Born: December 1, 1927

Died: May 24, 2007

Funeral: Held on May 29 at Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle.

IT was a full house for the funeral of Anglican priest Robert George Winder which was just how Father Bob (as he was known to all) would have liked it.

Father Bob, 79, of Raymond Terrace, loved a good gathering of friends.

Five hundred people, including two busloads of parishioners from Raymond Terrace and Mayfield, were at Christ Church Cathedral for the solemn requiem, which included an address by the Dean of Newcastle, the Very Reverend Graeme Lawrence, and glorious music by the cathedral choir.

On June 3, five days after the funeral, 180 people filled St Johns Anglican Church at Raymond Terrace for a memorial service for Father Bob.

Father Bob was the much-loved rector of St Johns for 23 years, until his retirement in 1993.

Laughter mixed with the tears at the memorial service, as funny anecdotes recalled Father Bob's idiosyncrasies.

There were stories of his clumsiness, particularly where red wine and carpets were concerned, his questionable jokes and his lack of organisation.

The latter was illustrated by a story about how Father Bob was mowing the lawn at the rectory, opposite St Johns, when he should have been inside the church preparing to marry a couple.

The bride's sister slowed down as she drove past Father Bob on her way to the church and said: "Bob, aren't you cutting it a bit fine?"

"No," he replied innocently, "I always cut it [the lawn] like this."

Reminded of his duties, he managed to get to the altar on time, even if he did track cut grass through the church.

The tears at the memorial service were for the loss of a man who had incredible empathy for other people.

Father Bob was a man for all people. He had time for everyone.

From conducting a funeral for a child's beloved goldfish to wrapping grieving families in his comfort, Father Bobs pastoral care was second to none.

Robert Winder was made a deacon of the Anglican Church in 1950. He then served in Brewarrina, Nyngan, Taree, Singleton, Waratah, West Wallsend and Surrey, in England.

He was rector at Denman from 1961 to 1970, before his transfer to Raymond Terrace.

His commitment to his faith led to him being made area dean and a canon of Christ Church Cathedral.

Father Bob kept finding reasons to delay his retirement and even when he finally did retire, in 1993, he did not slow down. Father Bob and his wife of 52 years, Joan, stayed in Raymond Terrace and he served as a relieving priest in the Newcastle diocese until his death.

He was a prominent member of the Raymond Terrace community and was involved in, among other things, Rotary and the Kairos prison ministry.

When he had time, he liked to garden and play golf.

Joan was widely known as Father Bob's rock, for her steadying influence.

Colleague and friend Father George Mainprize said at the memorial service that it was often up to Joan to wind Bob up and point him in the right direction of his various commitments.

Father Bob and Joan had three children, David, Jamie and Anne, who gave the couple nine grandchildren: Jackson, Zane, Riley, Edward, Finnigan, Darcy, Rebecca, Sam and Joseph.

Father Bob loved his family dearly and was very proud of them. He enjoyed every minute spent with them and was probably the biggest kid of them all.

He had a favourite game he liked to play with his grandchildren.

He would hold their wrists and ask them: "Have you learnt to clap yet?"

When they tried to show him, he would make their hands miss and call them silly.

After his funeral, Rebecca, 11, observed: "I guess there won't be thunder any more, because God won't be able to clap with Grandpa there."

As son David Winder told the congregation at Christ Church Cathedral, the Winders had always shared Father Bob with an extended family, made up of people whose lives Father Bob and Joan had touched through the church and other avenues.

Their door was always open.

His niece, Wendy Jacobs, told the memorial service that an enduring image in her mind was of Father Bob with a twinkle in his eye and his arms outstretched in welcome.

St Johns parishioner Don Denham concluded in his tribute to his close friend that Father Bob had left St Johns with an invaluable legacy.

Father Bob's deep and obvious love of God led him, and hopefully us, to that non-judgemental, unconditional love that he had for all people.

Fellow parishioner Caroline Coppins wrote a moving poem on the day Father Bob died, which she read at the memorial service. It ended thus:

So God came to earth On that autumn day And gently cradled Bob's spirit away.

Fr Bob, who was born in Sydney and grew up in Kurri Kurri and Mayfield, died of a stroke on May 24.

He is survived by his wife Joan, three children and nine grandchildren.

© 2007 Newcastle Herald

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