Obituary: Canon Donald Salway

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Respondents wrote:

CANON Donald Salway is a true pastor to the people he seeks to serve, and the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ has always been his motivation.

He learned to put his trust in Christ while a student at Oxford, where he shared fellowship with other young men, including Revd Philip Hacking and Revd Michael Green, who later became prominent church leaders. Oxford also burned his lifelong love of history and cricket.

Donald met Pauline while stationed from Oak Hill, and they were married in 1958. His first legacy in Holloway, north London, was not very long, as he served in two churches, one of which was the son church. The area was somewhat degraded at that time, and this set a pattern for Donalds ministry, where he felt he was called to serve in the less affluent areas of Cambridge and Norwich. Here in Holloway, Donald and Pauline forged their practical ministry as evangelicals, and their first three children, Alison, Robert, and Nicholas, were born.

When Donald and Pauline went to St Philips, Cambridge, in 1967, the church needed a fresh start, and so they began to make changes and introduce new ways of doing things. There has been a renewed emphasis on family worship and activities for young mothers and babies, which have worked in tandem with the life of the Salway family, since their fourth child, Catherine, was born.

Donald is a founding member of the local group that set up Romsey Mill, which works with hard-to-reach children and families. He also encouraged many ordinances to come to him for experience. By the time Donald and Pauline left Cambridge for Norwich, there was a thriving congregation in St Philips, whose members remembered their ministry with gratitude and love.

In Norwich, St Catherines served mainly on the Mile Cross council estate, which had a high level of social need. Donald had a common touch and a great understanding of human nature, from which a series of curates was learned a lot. Donald, Pauline, and the team ran an effective youth group and a group of mothers and babies who opened the church to the needs of the parish.

Donald saw the potential in each, and he encouraged many in the congregation to take up leadership positions, to which they gave themselves unknowingly. The congregation, as well as the local community, has developed a love for Donald and his realistic approach to ministry, one that is always close to the heart of the gospel. With some natural musicians and singers, Donald and Pauline encouraged a solid church choir and a lively music group.

When Donald retired to Somerset in 1996, he continued his life of service, taking a household position in the parishes of Long Sutton and Long Load. He and Pauline wholeheartedly engaged in village life and made friends. They regularly attend beneficiary house groups and the Friday prayer meeting in Long Sutton. Donald conducted service most Sundays, and was often celebrated in midweek communications; he was regularly asked to oversee weddings and funerals.

Donald gently cared for Pauline during her unfortunate illness and death in 2006, and then she still continued her ministry. His clear love for people and his interest in their lives welcomed him wherever he went. He gave his final disgruntled sermon at the age of 85 in 2016, and he remained a dear presence in local churches and the wider community until he moved into the Chapel Court priests residence in Cheltenham in 2018.

There, he made a close friend and bravely strived to make the most of every day, making everyone laugh, despite his age and health failure. He had regular visitors until he died peacefully, surrounded by Alison, Robert, Nick, and Catherine.

If you were to ask Donald, he would say that he was not important enough to have a death in the Church Times; yet all who love him will beg to be different. His humble light reflected and inspired everyone around him, slowly, throughout the 89 years. For his own funeral, he wrote a prayer of thanksgiving, which seems a fitting way to end this piece, in his own words:

Dear Lord, I am grateful for 48 years with my wife, Pauline; the love of my children, Alison, Rob, Nick, and Catherine; and the love of all my grandchildren, George, Hannah, Dan, Jonny, Mike, Violet, and Dylan. I am grateful for those who have drawn me to faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. And, of course, I thank the Lord Himself for his patience and mercy in my often carried away service. Amen.

Canon Donald Salway died on March 9. A thanksgiving service will be held at Holy Trinity, Long Sutton, on 2 October.

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