Many warm tributes have been paid to the late Dean Desmond Harman (66) of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, who died unexpectedly in the Blackrock Clinic yesterday morning.
The Archbishop of Dublin, Most Rev John Neill, said Dean Harman had been "a valued friend of mine since we were both teenagers. He was in hospital receiving treatment and although there were complications, he seemed to be recovering, so news of his death came as a terrible shock."
His death would be "a huge loss to the dioceses and the Church as a whole," he said. He extended his sympathy to "his wife Sue and their [three] children - the loss of a loving husband and father will be profound, all the more so, so close to Christmas."
The Church of Ireland primate Archbishop Alan Harper and the honorary secretaries of its General Synod, Canon Ian Ellis, Lady Sheil and Sam Harper, said the news was "a great shock and will occasion the greatest possible sadness throughout the Church of Ireland".
They described Dean Harman as "a man of the highest personal integrity" who was a "forthright in speech but generous in friendship, as well as being genuinely good company in social settings".
He would be "very sorely missed throughout the Church of Ireland." They extended their deep sympathy to Mrs Harman, their family and close friends.
The president of the Methodist Church, Rev Roy Cooper, expressed his sadness at Dean Harman's unexpected death, describing it as "a great loss not only to his own family but to all who have known him".
Dean Harman was born in 1941 and educated at Sligo Grammar School, then at Trinity College Dublin. He was ordained in 1967 and served his entire ministry in the Dublin archdiocese. In April 2004, he was installed as dean of Christ Church.