TRIBUTES have been paid to the Rev Henry Starkey, a former minister of Oxford’s Tyndale Church and early supporter of Oxfam, who died earlier this month.

The 87-year-old, who passed away in Winchester, had lifelong connections to Oxford and touched the lives of many during his time in the city.

More than 100 people attended his funeral, donating more than £2,000 to Oxfam in his memory.

A conscientious objector during the Second World War, he was one of the early members of the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief, which became Oxfam.

His grand-daughter Claire Cock-Starkey paid tribute to “a really great grandfather”.

She added: “He was well respected by everyone.

“You only had to see how many people turned up at his funeral to say goodbye. It was amazing.”

Mr Starkey, who died on June 14, was born in 1923. He was the minister of Cowley Road Congregational Church between 1946 and 1957. It was he who arranged for it to be renamed Tyndale Church in memory of William Tyndale, the man who translated the Bible into English.

Mr Starkey also took part in many reconciliation visits to churches in Germany and Holland after the Second World War to rebuild relations.

In addition to his work for the Church, he was one of the first people to join the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief in the early 1940s.

He served as a board member on the charity for many years and was heavily involved in the Christian Fairtrade organisation Traidcraft and Christian Aid.

Through his church, he and his wife, Christine, were consistently among the top sellers of Traidcraft goods in the country, raising hundreds of pounds for charity.

The couple were married for 61 years until Mrs Starkey’s death two years ago.

Following his time in Oxford, Mr Starkey was a chaplain at Mill Hill School, London, and then minister at Homewood Road Church in St Albans.

He retired to Winchester in 1991 but was still heavily involved in the Church. He also worked as a volunteer tour guide at Winchester Cathedral.

Mr Starkey is survived by his five children Hugh, Paul, Hilary, Leonard and Victor, eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.