Obituary of Rupert Joseph Manchester

Rupert Joseph, “Joe” Manchester came into this world on November 19, 1932, in Tabernacle in St. John's parish in St. Kitts to the late Kenneth “Alan” Manchester and Josephine Matthew. Rev. Manchester enrolled in the science program at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica where he excelled in mathematics and physics. Always a man of faith, Joe created and became the president of the Methodist Club at the university. After graduating with his BSc. Phys., Reverend Manchester returned to St. Kitts and began teaching science to sixth form students at the then St. Kitts-Nevis Grammar School (now the Basseterre High School), and had also completed his research on adolescent psychology preparatory to taking his master’s degree in the subject. On August 11, 1960, Mr. Manchester married Miss Florice Virginia Allen at the Methodist Church in Basseterre. On July 28, 1961, the couple welcomed their first-born Rupert Alan, and on October 31, 1962, their second son William Arthur. In 1966 Rev. Manchester became the first principal of the new Sandy Point High School (now the Charles E. Mills Secondary School) and implemented several forward thinking and sometimes controversial ideas. Since the school was in a relatively poor area, the local bookshop agreed to let the students buy their books on an installment plan, a move of which the education authorities disapproved. He also ended the Sports Day tradition of gender-segregation. Despite protests from the teachers, if a student was reported, Rev. Manchester would also hear the students' version of events in order to give them a true sense of respect and responsibility. Although Rev. Manchester was known island wide as “teacher Manchester” he was also known as a local preacher. In 1970, Rev. Manchester, along with his family, moved to Bermuda to teach science to third, fourth and fifth-year students at Berkeley Institute. While teaching at Berkeley, Rev. Manchester was also a lay preacher at Wesley Methodist Church, filling in twice for extended periods following the sudden death of the incumbent minister. He and his family moved to Canada, having left Berkeley Institute as its assistant principal, to become a lay supply minister with the United Church of Canada, before eventually enrolling at the Atlantic School of Theology in Halifax, Nova Scotia graduating as an ordained minister. Rev. Manchester is survived by his wife of 64 years, Florice Virginia (Allen)p; and their two sons, Rupert Alan and William Arthur. He is predeceased by his older siblings, Cynthia (Herbert), Laughton and Allan.