Deacon Mike Vipond Passes After Lifetime of Service

Deacon Mike Vipond died peacefully in Ipswich Hospital, aged 84, on Friday 25 July.

Deacon Mike Vipond’s working life was spent in education. He worked as a teacher in Edmonton and Walthamstow, where he was headteacher of Saint Patrick’s Primary School. Mike had a life-long interest in the game of rugby and at one time played for Saracens Rugby Football Club.

In 1979, Mike and his wife Ann and their two sons moved to Suffolk.

Here he worked in the Junior School of Framlingham College, Brandeston Hall. 

Mike was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate by Bishop Alan Clark in May 1991. Deacon Mike’s ministry was not only to Saint Clare’s Church in Framlingham but included the wider local community too. He was a governor of Sir Robert Hitcham’s C.E.V.A. primary school, a trustee of a local charity, and volunteered with the Royal British Legion. For twenty years he worked as the Roman Catholic sessional chaplain at Hollesley Bay Prison and Warren Hill Prison.

Until the beginning of this year, Deacon Mike and his wife Ann represented Saint Clare’s Church on the Framlingham Churches Together committee.

In May 2024 Deacon Mike was awarded the East Anglia Diocesan Medal by Bishop Peter Collins in recognition of thirty-three years of service to the Church in Suffolk.

Deacon Mike retired from active ministry only five months ago. 

He died peacefully in Ipswich Hospital, aged 84, having received the Last Rites the previous day.

Mike is survived by his wife Ann, his sons Andrew and Dominic and their families.

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