Anthony Baker pays tribute to Keith Stephens.
Keith Stephens died on May 13th 2020, having contracted the Covid-19 virus − he would have been 100 on December 11th, and almost to the end was an active member of the Hertfordshire Circle of the Newman Association. He had been a founder member of the national Association and one of the members of the first Council in 1947. This memoir is composed from material provided by Keith's family and local friends and neighbours, as well as from members of Newman Circles in Coventry and Hertfordshire.
Keith Stephens was born on December 11th 1920 in north London, with three sisters, Anne, May, and Beryl. He was at school at Maidenhead County Grammar School and studied chemistry at Balliol College, Oxford. During the war, Keith was engaged in scientific research, and then worked in various parts of England, particularly on polymer chemistry, with British Celanese (later Courtaulds) and BP. Later in his career, this included international work in liaising and negotiating with opposite numbers in the OECD and (then) European Common Market.
Keith met Clare, a mathematics teacher, through their Newman Association activities in the late 1940s at Portman Square in London. Keith was apparently thought to be rather brash initially, but he managed to win Clare over and they married in August 1952. Keith's memories of the early days of the Newman Association were latterly difficult to extract, but Clare and he represented different interests at times. Keith was in charge of the house finances at Portman Square and sought to get people to keep to budgets. He commented how those laying on courses were aghast at this: "Education does not require a budget" was their plea.
A move to Coventry
The Stephens and their young family arrived in Coventry in the early 1960s, when Coventry was booming, attracting young families, and then Vatican II came. Keith and Clare played a great part in building up both the Newman Circle and St Thomas More parish. The Coventry Circle was few years old and very enthusiastic and active. Keith was soon a member of the committee, and there are many happy memories of social evenings held in their home. Changes were expected in the Church and the Circle was the one place locally where discussion was encouraged. Keith could always be relied upon to give a considered view! He had his practical side too – at the end of Mass one Sunday he was seen to leap up and beat a parishioner about the head – her elaborately lacquered beehive hairdo had caught fire on the votive candles, and Keith must have saved her life.
Keith and Clare and their four children, Peter, Andrew, Mark and Nicky, moved in 1965 from Coventry to St Albans where they made their lasting home. In St Bartholomew's parish both Keith and Clare were active in parish activities, organising fetes and "old people's" parties where the organisers were often older than the guests! While Clare was a stalwart of the CWL, Keith was a reader with considerable skill in proclaiming (sometimes declaiming) scripture, and for many years served funeral Masses for fellow parishioners. Keith was much trusted by all; he was a parish bank signatory and took responsibility as "promoter" for so many parish raffles. He was among the group of those invited to form a parish council, on which he served for some years. He was also ecumenically active in the earlier days of the St Albans Cathedral Study Centre and was treasurer of the Study Centre for a time. The photograph here shows Keith and Clare at St Bartholomew's in 1989 when they were both presented with Benemerenti medals from Pope John Paul II.
Both Keith and Clare were active members of the Newman's Hertfordshire Circle. Keith was greatly stimulated by the debates between science and religion, and was always happy to discuss intriguing topics such as "what is love" or the faulty understandings of human sexuality in the olden days! He was intellectually lively and could always be relied on to open the questioning of speakers at meetings. He and Clare were great supporters of the circle's social events, and latterly Keith particularly enjoyed coming to monthly pub lunches, interrupted only by the Covid lockdown.
Clare died in May 2013 aged 91. She had resisted earlier family suggestions to move to a bungalow, and after Clare's death Keith wished to stay in the family home. He retained his independence with support from his gardeners and cleaner, and with active help from his children, from neighbours and Newman and parish friends, and latterly from regular carers. With the help of various parish drivers he attended daily Mass until the lockdown and apparently he still wrote 100 cards last Christmas.
Sadly Keith did not achieve his ambition of his 100th birthday, and attendance at his burial in Clare's grave was limited to close family. The family plan a full Mass and celebration after the virus emergency is reduced. We give thanks for Keith's life, full of love, with his gifts used in the service of others. He surely now enjoys his reward, safely reunited with Clare.
Anthony Baker