The Ven. Brian Lucas writes:

THE Revd Richard Hanford was endowed with many gifts. First and foremost, he was a devout priest who exercised his ministry in the Anglo-Catholic tradition.

He was also a gifted musician, who wrote hymns to well-known tunes, and produced a useful booklet in which canticles and psalms received a similar treatment. In 1962, “Telstar”, played by the band the Tornados, reached No. 1 in the charts. It was a dynamic piece of music, and Richard demonstrated that it would make an excellent setting for the Kyrie in the mass. He excelled as an organist — when the cathedral organist of Llandaff was unable to play for my wedding at short notice in 1966, Richard agreed to deputise and after only one rehearsal with the full choir, gave a magnificent performance.

William Richard Hanford was born in the south Wales steel town of Port Talbot in November 1938, and was a chorister and server at St Theodore’s. It was here that I first encountered Richard, although I was two years his junior. We both attended Dyffryn Grammar School, from where Richard won an exhibition in modern history to Keble College, Oxford. He was a natural scholar throughout his life. After his success in Oxford, he took the London BD, and, when the University of Wales offered a Master’s degree in canon law, Richard was one of the early students to graduate.

Richard trained for the priesthood at St Stephen’s House, Oxford, and was ordained priest in Llandaff Cathedral in July 1964. There followed curacies at St Martin’s Roath, Cardiff, and Llantwit Major near by. When this scholarly and amiable young priest was appointed a minor canon of the cathedral, I hoped that this was the beginning of an illustrious career in the Church in Wales. Richard was not a native Welsh speaker, but he had learned sufficient Welsh to lead services in that language.

Most of his friends were astounded when Richard left Wales and embarked on a short-service commission as a chaplain in the Royal Navy. During this period, Richard served on two training establishments, separated by a few years as Chaplain to HM Dockyard in Gibraltar. He derived much pleasure from this appointment, as he also held an ex-officio canonry in Gibraltar Cathedral. It was unfortunate that he did not enjoy a sea-going appointment; for it might have persuaded him to pursue a career in the Royal Navy. Instead, he retired after his short-service commission.

For two years, Richard held part-time appointments in Eastbourne and Brighton before he was appointed Canon Precentor of Guildford Cathedral, and a tutor and lecturer in liturgy at Chichester Theological College. His scholarly and pastoral gifts were now being used to the full.

With his appointment as Vicar of Ewell, Richard became known to the wider Church. He became Proctor in Convocation, a member of both the General Synod and its Business Committee, Governor of the Southwark Ordination Course, and subsequently the South-East Institute for Theological Education, a Commissioner for the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England, and Chairman of the Grants Committee. With all this exposure of his ability and leadership, I am at a loss to understand why the Church of England, and indeed the Church in Wales, did not offer this wise and gentle priest the preferment he deserved.

Richard was always good company. He had a fine sense of humour and good conversation, and was equally at ease in a demanding pastoral situation as he was as my guest in the Savage Club, in Whitehall. People warmed to this pragmatic priest, who was content to lead people to Christ.

In his retirement, Richard and his wife since 1971, Susan, bought a house near Bridgend, in south Wales, where he delighted in his appointment as organist of Margam Abbey. It was here that he celebrated mass for his diamond jubilee in the priesthood, in July.

Richard died on 15 November, aged 85. His wife predeceased him in 2017. They are survived by their three daughters, Sarah, Rachel, and Rebecca, and seven grandchildren.