In the early hours of Tuesday, 9th February 2010, our Brother Walter Hobson, over 90 years of age, was released from the sufferings of this life and called to his Father's home.  He had been in hospital a number of times but died peacefully at home in Woodford friary where he had been since 1993. 

Fr Walter was born in Crewe on 24th April 1919 and entered the Order on 4th September 1937.  He made his first profession on 5th September 1938 and was ordained priest on 24th February 1945.  He first went to Craigmillar (Edinburgh), then successively to Manchester, Dundee, Hatch End (The Catholic  Radio and Television Centre), Liverpool, Edinburgh, Aldridge (Birmingham), and again to Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh. 

In 1995 on the occasion of his Golden Jubilee of Priesthood, the Provincial of the time wrote to him, "From your youth you have found fraternity in practice, unsung, not made a great fuss of, no elaborate theories, but just the life of friary and parish service.  ...  Thank you for the immense personal generosity with which you have steadily given yourself to every task you have been given or taken on.  People will point to your years of office as the achievements.  Far more important is the gentle perceptive and constant service of spotting what is needed, and doing it. You bring humour, joy, optimism and a tremendous compassion to the service of the little people."

Read the account of the celebration of Fr Walter's 90th Birthday click here and scroll down

The Funeral

Fr Walter's body was received into the Church of St Thomas of Canterbury at Woodford Green on the evening of Thursday, 18th February 2010, by the Guardian, Fr Austin Linus McCormack.  On Friday morning at 10.00 a.m. the funeral Mass took place celebrated by the Minister Provincial and concelebrated by a number of priests  from the diocese and from the Province.  The Mass and the customary absolutions were followed by burial at St Patrick's cemetery in Leytonstone, where a large number of friars have been buried over the years.  Those who were unable to go to the cemetery gathered in the Becket Centre after the Mass, while those who attended the burial returned later to the Friary and met together in the refectory.  As in any family, the funeral of a Brother is always an occasion for the friars to get together.

To read the Minister Provincial's Homily at the funeral Mass click here