“Thy word have I hid in mine heart…” (Psalm 119:11)
We are saddened to announce the passing of Vera Wright, a faithful witness and long-standing member of our church family, who passed away on 17 July 2025, at the age of 95.
A previous generation remembered Vera for the purity of her soprano voice. Her singing at the New Gallery and the Westminster Central Hall uplifted many. Many will also remember her as the loyal wife of Norman, former headmaster of Fletewood and Hyland House Schools in the South England Conference. Married in March 1951, Vera joined Norman in denominational service in 1957, faithfully supporting his ministry until his retirement in 1980. Behind the scenes, she worked for many years as the school secretary at Hyland House. She continued to support her local church as head deaconess and personal ministries secretary after the tragic loss of Norman in 2006.
In times of sorrow, Vera’s faith in God’s promises never wavered. During sleepless nights, she would repeat many of the psalms she learnt as a schoolgirl in the 1930s. Even in her 95th year, she would often close Sabbath with her children via FaceTime or Zoom by reciting a psalm from memory, almost always word for word. Her unshakable hope in the resurrection was evident to all who knew her – rooted not in sentiment, but in the sure and living hope we have in Christ Jesus. She “hid His Word in her heart”.
Although time has passed and their names may not be widely known among the younger generation, we recognise that Vera and Norman were among those who helped build and sustain the spiritual life of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
In the thoughtful reflection, former student and former British Union Conference Treasurer, Victor Pilmoor said, “Some of these people are irreplaceable, and passed to their rest, anonymous to the current generation. We do well to honour them.”
Vera is survived by her children, Paul and Helen and their respective families. Please continue to remember them in your prayers, giving thanks for the life and faithful witness of Vera.
The funeral was held at Alsager Seventh-day Adventist Church, Linley Road, Alsager, ST7 2QD, on Monday, 11 August 2025.
As we keep Paul, Helen and their respective families in our thoughts and prayers, let us remember to take comfort in God’s promise that death is not the end (Revelation 21:4). It won’t be long.