Peter's verse reaches beyond the grave 

But rather than slipping quietly away, guitar playing Peter Wright bowed out in spectacular style, penning his own obituary in verse form, complete with chorus, which was sent out from beyond the grave via email.

During a career that saw him posted to parishes as far flung as Jamaica and America, Peter completed two stints in the North Tyne.

The first was at Bellingham where, immersing himself in village life, he was responsible for 13 chapels; the second was in 2011 - after he had officially retired - when he returned to the North Tyne as head of the chapels at Barrasford, Bellingham, Wark, Wall, Kielder and Falstone.

Peter died on Friday after contracting a lung disease and, as well as his wife, Jackie and children Alasdair and Denise, he leaves four grandchildren.

Shortly before his death he penned his "Biography of a very common man" - a humorous, yet touching, account of his life in the church.

"Peter Wright was born in wartime,

His folks were thrilled to bits;

But Hitler heard about it

So he sent the Sheffield blitz.

He was skinny as a kid

Until they took his tonsils out -

But then he started eating

And now he's rather stout.

(CHORUS) And the chuckle that he found inside

Has never ever died.

As a buyer in wholesale grocery

He laboured for five years,

Then left to join a 'baccy firm

And smoked away his cares.

The beautiful Jackie chased him

Until at last he caught her;

They had a son called Alasdair.

Then Denise, a lovely daughter. (chorus)

But four years on he heard the call

To enter Orders Holy

And went to Bristol to be trained

As Reverend Roly Poly.

In college, he did very well

Except, not being meek,

He passed exams in everything

Bar humility (and Greek). (chorus)

Then off he went with wife and kids

To Jamaica to serve the Lord.

When asked "Jamaica?", he said

"No. She went of her own accord."

He served five churches in the sticks -

Got electric for Kensington;

Revamped two chapels and taught at school

Before eventually going home. (chorus)

Back to the UK to Shipley

With three churches to look after,

But instead of growing wiser

He got a little dafter

And worked at Pennine Radio,

A happy nuthouse where

He produced religious programmes

To go out on the Air(e). (chorus)

Then five years on they upped and went

Miles north to Northumberland.

It's England's best kept secret

And the food and folk are grand.

With thirteen smallish chapels

And a thousand bare square miles,

He taught kids about computers

And fed members into files. (chorus)

Because his head was rather large,

They said "Now wear two hats"

He was an MURC minister 

And got stung a lot by gnats.

But his greatest claim to glory

Was in acts of reconciling,

By bringing churches into one

While keeping people smiling. (chorus)

And then in 1987

At a speed to make you dizzy,

They sent him down to Hornsea,

Where they kept him 'super' busy.

But he and Jackie were happy there

(even though their kids were gone)

And Hornsea was a place that they

Were happy to call home. (chorus)

Then off up north to Wensleydale

'95 to '05 was the stay;

Where he made a circuit website -

www.bedalemethodist.org.uk

They settled in and felt at home

The garden had a good look;

And over 800 guests all found themselves

In the well-used visitors book. (chorus)

The highlight of 1997

Was a trip across the sea

To Georgia, to be the pastor

Of Sylvester PMUMC.

The Southern hospitality

Was wonderful to behold

And all the folks are beautiful

With hearts of solid gold. (chorus)

1999 was a memorable year

When he served in South Carolina

The wonderful folk at Aldersgate

In Hanahan, none were finer.

The love they gave and all they shared

Sustains them to this day.

The only blot upon that page

Is they had to come away. (chorus)

But they were back again quite soon

The first quarter of 2001

When Peter went on sabbatical leave

And Jackie tagged along.

In Georgia they checked Charles Wesley’s hymns

Where he wrote them for a vesper

And looked up friends they’d made before

In Charleston and Sylvester. (chorus)

And they returned in 2004

To spend the month of May

In Sylvester and in Hanahan

In the good old USA.

But it was good to get back home

To all the family;

To see the three grandchildren -

Hayley, Beckie and Charlie. (chorus)

Then came the time the chapter closed

Two thousand five o’er-whelmed them;

At 65 retirement came

And swept them off to Hexham

Where pastures new, and friends of old,

Were there to help and feed;

As they offered psychotherapy

To anxious souls in need. (chorus)

‘Twas in the year two oh oh six

To Canada they were called;

Where Uncle Reg (the family head) 

Wanted Peter instead installed.

And just as they returned back home,

Down in Farringdon,

‘Jamie’, (grandchild number four)

By “The Maughan’s” was taken on. (chorus)

And then at three score years and more

Thirty-seven annabit still,

He showed no sign of slowing down

Or ‘rolling down the hill’.

‘Twas a fact that he was doing more

And Jackie “gardened” at the church

While Peter was doing radio

And turning bits of birch. (chorus)

Another shock leapt up to bite

When in August twenty-eleven

He was recalled to active ministry

In the North Tyne Valley heaven

Where with an easy pastoral charge

Of chapels – (a mere six)

He was able to work from Hexham home

No need to learn new tricks. (chorus)

With Barrasford and Bellingham

And Wark and Wall and Kielder,

And Falstone making up the set.

With all agreed they sealed a

Deal for one year with proviso

To make it two if needed.

So after six years as an OAP

Retirement receded.  (chorus)

And then in August twenty-thirteen,

Again he tried to retire.

Planning not to do a lot

But idle by the fire.

Ho Ho Ho, the cry went up;

You’re still an active preacher

And district paper editor

As well as website creator. (chorus)

“Retirement Mk.III was not a plan

To bring them glorious ease,

As they told him he was a “one-off”

With a unique lung disease

Then after one last trip to the USA

Chemotherapy destroyed him –

He had no strength and couldn’t breathe

As the lung disease reduced him. (chorus)

But he rejoiced in all the love

And prayers from folk who knew them.

At three score years, and ten, and six;

They tottered the road to heaven.

And so for Peter, celebrate;

And hold up Jackie Ann

Who did a wonderful job to support

This very common man. (chorus)