On 5 March 2023, Newcastle upon Tyne Unitarians held a service to remember our much-missed former Chairperson, Secretary, and member of our community, Maurice Large. Members of the congregation, Unitarians, and people who knew Maurice gathered to remember his life. The service video is above. Here is his eulogy, written by Rev. Margaret Kirk and shared with her permission.

And here are some memories of Maurice, shared by those who knew him:

“I have the pleasure of meeting many people in my daily business life but unfortunately few are like Maurice Large. I am very aware that I did not know him for as long or, to anywhere near the same degree of familiarity as your close congregation did. As such, I can only imagine the extent of empty space he has left behind and offer you all my most sincere condolences.

Every conversation I had with Maurice was a fascinating and enjoyable experience. From the very first time I spoke to him he made me feel comfortable, an innate and special ability he possessed. The knowledge and experience he held on what seemed like every topic under the sun was phenomenal. He was clearly very successful in his career and well regarded at that, but there were no airs and graces about him. He was genuine in all he said and did. I quickly realised that any questions he asked weren’t leading, he really did want to know what you thought, liked, and felt. It was a privilege to have met Maurice, I am lucky to have shared the coffees and chats I did with him. He was a gentleman in the truest sense of the word and the world is a lesser place without him in it.”

“We always enjoyed our chats with Maurice and with Joan. Whether humorous, informative, or historical, they always left you feeling you had learned something!”

“Maurice had a deep knowledge of Unitarianism and its history in the north east (he sent me some very interesting information on the Choppington Chapel) and he and Joan always gave the warmest of welcomes to visitors like myself. A truly lovely man.”

“His commitment to the Unitarian cause in Newcastle was legendary. A genuine man.”

From a former GA President: “I was saddened to learn of Maurice’s death; he was a true gentleman, a committed member of Newcastle Unitarians, and a loyal supporter of his church community. He will be greatly missed by everyone who knew him.”

From a former organist at Newcastle upon Tyne Unitarians: “I always personally recall Maurice as an appreciative and friendly supporter of my work at Ellison Place, when I served as organist there for four years or so. He was a pillar of the Unitarian community there, always welcoming to everyone.”

“I once contacted Maurice to let him know that I had known his friend Roy Hislop when we were boys, growing up in Clarence Street in Shieldfield in the 1950s. Roy and his parents were members of the congregation at the Church of the Divine Unity, and Roy himself later became Maurice’s best man when he married Joan. Maurice responded by sending me a copy of a photograph, taken in about 1960, when the church’s former Chairperson Ron Coulson was putting on a play, and Maurice and Roy had been conscripted as stage hands. They are shown relaxing on the set. Maurice asked me what I thought of how he looked in the photo. I said that, although he was  obviously very young at the time, it hinted at the glories of male beauty that were about to be revealed. His reply was ‘’Watch it!’”

“We remember our conversations with Maurice at coffee time after services, which were wide-ranging and always interesting. A fount of knowledge about the church of course, and so interesting to hear about it when he was a young man.”

“Maurice was, in no small part, key to my finding spiritual autonomy through the Unitarian community. He was always there with a smile and a quip but also with sound advice and guidance. I’m not sure I ever actually sought it directly, Maurice’s guidance was more on a social level where he excelled in making you feel comfortable in exploring, always feeling nourished by his kindness and good natured presence. He will be sorely missed.”

Below is Maurice’s entry in the Robinson Book of Memorials: