A COMMEMORATIVE service for a Cwmbran lay minister and former rugby referee will be held in Abergavenny next week.

The Archbishop of Wales will lead a commemorative service at St Mary’s Priory Church on Monday to celebrate the life of the late Church in Wales lay minister David Meredith.

Mr Meredith died suddenly on Sunday, September 29, aged 81.

MORE NEWS:

Born in 1938, Mr Meredith was brought up in Old Cwmbran.

He was a widely-known, very active member of the community as Cwmbran evolved during the 1960s, buying and running the family general store business just off Coker Avenue in his home town for many years.

He was also involved in arranging some of the biggest pop groups of their time to come to Coedeva Community Hall, including Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Hollies, and Freddie and the Dreamers during the early 1960s.

Mr Meredith also rose through the rugby refereeing ranks to first-class level, refereeing Pontypool, Ebbw Vale, Newbridge, Abertillery, Cross Keys, and Tredegar during the early 1960s.

This included refereeing Newbridge RFC during their 1964/65 Championship Winning Season.

He moved to Abergavenny area in the 1980s after having a family, and devoted his retirement years to becoming a minister.

After moving to Abergavenny, he maintained his ties to his home town as an active member of St Gabriels Church, where he ran the Sunday School.

Later, he began working as a lay minister in the Abergavenny area.

“David’s sudden death was a great shock to all in the parish, where he had served so faithfully for decades as a licensed lay minister,” Canon Mark Soady said.

“Our prayers are with the family at this time.”

To celebrate this work, St Mary’s Priory Church will hold a celebration of Mr Meredith’s life on Monday, October 21, at 4.30pm.