Roy Rex (1930-1989) was born in the East End and brought up at All Saints’ Poplar, where he was prepared for confirmation by the legendary East End Anglo-Catholic priest, Fr John Groser. Groser was described by Kenneth Leech as ‘one of the most significant Christian socialist figures in twentieth-century Britain’. Roy remained a dedicated Anglo-Catholic and Christian Socialist all his life.
Roy served as an engineer in the Merchant Navy, which left him with a taste for pink gin, and back on dry land he worked in a senior position for the Kuwait Oil Company, the Nuclear Power Authority and British Gas. He, his wife Gwen and son Michael moved to Gt Livermere near Bury St Edmunds in 1978, joining the congregation at St John’s. Roy soon became churchwarden and had a strong influence on St John’s during his time here.
Initially, that influence was felt in Roy’s strong commitment to Christian stewardship, and it was at his recommendation that St John’s adopted the methodology of the Anglican Stewardship Association (ASA) and its director, Peter Fahy, whose work Roy had experienced at his previous parish in Melton Mowbray. ASA’s Full Measure Project continues to be used at St John’s and at neighbouring St George’s.
Roy also brought with him from Leicestershire a fondness for Launde Abbey, then being developed as a retreat house by Canon Henry Evans and his small Christian community. This resulted in the first of many annual retreats spent there by people from St John’s.
Roy was deeply concerned by the socio-political trends of the 1980s, and during his time St John’s Centre was used as a drop-in centre for the unemployed. As with many of his contributions to the life of St John’s, his influence stuck and can be felt to this day. The stewardship methodology is sustained, annual retreats continue to take place and The Centre next door has continued to develop its social ministry, now with an emphasis on fair trade and international development as well as the support of a wide variety of local work with, for example, people with learning difficulties.
Roy and Gwen returned to Leicestershire in 1989, retiring to Barrow-upon-Soar, where Gwen still lives.