The obituary notice of Simon CHESTERS

Very sad to hear this news. May God bless you and hold you close, in your grief.

In the 1980s Gill & I were co-leaders helping run the thriving St Mary's Upton CYFA group. With over 70 kids attending we divided them into groups. We got to know 'Si' well - he was a 'junior' leader in our group. He was very committed.

It was a rich & demanding experience, the team delivered well grounded biblical & practical teaching combined with a 'full on' social programme. We had around a dozen leaders all much respected - with the impressive Peter & Miranda Harris at the helm.

The four year CYFA experience no doubt would have shaped the foundation of Simon's faith. The time at St Mary's and in CYFA proved formative to us too.

We have fond memories of Simon, and remember him as an extremely bright, humble, warm, open, thoughtful, considerate, sometimes intense and earnest young lad. We lost touch when he left to go to university, but remember him well. A young man we respected and thought highly of.

We emigrated to NZ in 2011 and 3yrs ago by some quirky coincidental conversation with a stranger in Rotorua, NZ, Simon's name cropped up. Fond memories - so I thought I'd get in touch. But maybe I had the wrong email address, I never got a reply.

Last night we heard Simon has passed. It's all so painfully sad and shocking. I still picture Simon as that warm, sincere, introspective, thoughtful and very decent teenager in CYFA. A good person. In some ways we never change, we just learn to adapt, but deep down we remain the same person at the core.

I hope I can catch up with Simon again properly when we are both on the other side.

Much love and care to all those very close to him who have been so deeply affected by his passing.

Julian & Gill Buchanan
Waikanae Beach, Wellington
Aotearoa, NZ

Simon, you will be truly missed. Absent from the body, present with the Lord. Siân

Tad Baranski. I was a colleague of Simon's at the large IT company, ICL, in the 1990s
Simon and I became good friends. Our faith in Jesus kept us sane in a hard and demanding commercial environment. Simon was, of course, great at his job. Frankly Simon would have been a huge success at anything he chose to do in life.

Simon and I often chatted about his impending response to a clear call from God to enter full time Christian ministry. I remember him leaving to study in Oxford with sadness, I knew I would miss him dearly, but also delighted that he would start a journey of serving his heavenly Father and all those who also loved him. Thankfully we managed to meet up a number of times during his training.

Simon was, of course, outrageously intelligent, passionate, caring, gracious, generous, amusing, quick witted, giving, humble, hard working. His infectious smile (was he ever without a smile that lit up a room and everyone in it?), honesty and skill in listening are some of his gifts I will remember always. I will never meet a man like him again, and our time together is a clear highlight in my life. There is nobody I would ever have trusted more.

Jesus, I am sure, boasted about Simon to his father: Matthew 10:32 "Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.". Simon always told others about Jesus. Now, Simon can see the Saviour he served faithfully, face to face. Thank you Simon for who you are. Until we meet again Bro.