Father David Sutcliffe dies

Father David Sutcliffe, Catholic parish priest in Uckfield for more than ten years died on Saturday aged 77.

He retired four years ago.

The funeral is due to take place on Monday at 11am and will be conducted by the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton, the Rt Rev Kieran Conry.

Fr David's body is due to be received into the Church of Our Lady Immaculate and St Philip Neri at 6.15pm on Sunday and there will be a requiem Mass at 6.30pm where the same hymns and readings chosen for his funeral will be heard.

After the funeral, on Monday, he will be buried in the Snatts Road cemetery, Uckfield.

Fr David was described by the current priest Fr David Buckley as a "people person".

"This was his parish and his house and I tried to keep it that way. Until the day he died he had his own keys to the church and the priest's house here.

"He was able to come in, sit down, read his paper and make himself a cup of tea. In a way he never moved away," said Fr David Buckley.

Parishioner Cathy Kay, who has been a friend of Fr David Sutcliffe for years, helping with his move and walking his dog Scamp is now looking after the dog.

"He misses Fr David very much and I feel very sad too. He was a lovely man, intelligent with a great sense of humour,' said Cathy.

Fr David, who moved to Framfield Road after his retirement, was born in West Ham but grew up in the Southend area after his family was bombed out of London during World War 2.

He was one of eight children. He won a scholarship to Rome where he spent five years before returning to do his National Service.

While in the Army he spent some time stationed at Maresfield.

He went on to do a music degree and teacher training in London and taught for 20 years in Chichester before taking early retirement in 1983.

He then spent three years studying for the priesthood, started as a priest in Worthing and moved to the parish of Slindon and Barnham between Arundel and Chichester before coming to Uckfield in 1994.

Fr David was an accomplished musician. He had a piano, harpsichord and organ in his bungalow and continued playing until he went into the Uckfield Community Hospital in December.

He also composed his own music. He sold a collection of his work on CD to raise funds to enable sick people to undertake pilgrimages to Lourdes, a place he loved to visit himself.

"He lived life to the full and brought a wealth of experience with him when he became a priest," said Cathy.

"He was once drummer in a band. I've seen a picture of him wearing a white T-shirt with Dave written across it in big black letters."

Fr David was a popular regular at The Alma in Framfield Road and enjoyed the company there.

He was a dedicated priest. Cathy remembers one year he was taken into hospital two days before he was due to conduct Midnight Mass. He discharged himself on Christmas Eve so he would be able to take the service.

After his retirement Fr David continued to conduct the 10am Mass at the Visitation Convent, Waldron, every Sunday.

"He used to have all the nuns laughing because he would tell stories about his life. A lot of people remember his sermons and the jokes he told," said Cathy.

“He would listen to everybody’s problems and it was as if he carried the whole world on his shoulders. He would think about them the whole time. He was always praying for this person or that person,” she added.

Fr David went into Uckfield Community Hospital in December and died there on Saturday.

Two of his sisters are hoping to be at the funeral, Peggy, who was 98 yesterday (Tuesday) plans to travel from Switzerland, and Pauline, 80, hopes to come from North Yorkshire.

(Added to site Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010)