It is with regret that we announce that the Ven Leslie Stanbridge died, peacefully at home, on Thursday 19th March.
Leslie trained at St. John’s College, Durham and was ordained priest in 1950. After serving his Curacy in the Diocese of Rochester, he returned to the north east and to St. John’s College in 1951, and served as both Tutor and (from 1952) as Chaplain until 1955. In 1955, Leslie was appointed as Vicar of St. Martin’s, Kingston on Hull – the beginning of a long and distinguished ministry in the Diocese of York.
Leslie left St. Martin’s in 1964, moving on to Cottingham where he served as Rector until 1972. During this time, Leslie was also appointed (in 1968) as a Canon of York and (in 1970) as Rural Dean of Hull. He subsequently served as Warden of Readers, and as Archdeacon of York from 1972 until 1988, when he retired from full-time ministry. In what was, by any assessment, a notably active “retirement”, Leslie continued to provide valuable service to York Minster, both in the role of Succentor Canonicum (to which he was appointed in 1988), and as a Canon of York in the Minster’s governing body – serving in the latter role for a grand total of 32 years before he stood down in 2000, at the age of 80.
Leslie was made Archdeacon Emeritus and was granted the Archbishop’s Permission to Officiate in the Diocese of York in 2000. He remained actively involved in the life of the Minster, in particular as an enthusiastic member (and, for many years, organiser) of the Minster Community Walking Group, and in the life of the wider city, including serving as a Director of St. Leonard’s Hospice in the 1990s.
Leslie’s Requiem Eucharist (which will include the Commendation and Committal) will be held in York Minster on Monday 30 March, at 2.00pm. Members of clergy and Readers wishing to robe and process at the service are asked to bring cassock, surplice and white stole please or blue scarf – and to be in the Vestry by 1.30pm.