Harold Gulliver

In 1975 Harold and I had a discussion about his funeral address I made a cautious response to his request (as one does with farmers). It resulted in a draft order of service which was dated 2008 which would have been Harold’s centenary!

Harold lived much longer than his childhood health would have suggested. He was a man of the country, a farmer to his fingertips, who loved to dress a cow for market to put a few pounds on its value. He was deeply versed in country ways and village life – a man of community. He served on the parish council. His advice was widely sought. He supported many by attending a huge number of funerals.

He loved sport – and supported – “The Cobblers” – and could become very excited at matches. In fact, the only game I attended with him, he became passionate in his denunciation of the referee, and later came to apologise for his behaviour.

He was a man of faith who knew Jesus as his Saviour in a way that affected his whole life and behaviour. Harold was transparent in character. God was at work in his life. A deeply emotional man there was an intensity about his faith; yet he was sensitive to a fault. Harold was a man who liked jokes! A man of fun and laughter.

For over seventy years, his life was the history of the local (Baptist) church. He was a leader and his hospitality was a ministry – a feature of the Gulliver household. He exercised a ministry through letter writing offering to many the promise of his support and prayer. In his faith he was concerned to share and to communicate his experience of Christ and had a gift of bridging the generation gap.

His epitaph might well be “I am not what I ought to be, but by the grace of God, I am what I am” (1 Corinthians 15.10)

And now “He is what he is!”

AP

From: Talkabout Spring 1998