Edmund John Wragg, John, was born in Bermuda on 6th May 1947, the only son of Alwyn Lumley Wragg and Marie Cecilia Wragg. His father was a Naval Chaplin and was posted to the dockyard at Bermuda. With the family frequently moving due to his father’s work, John attended boarding school from the age of 11-17, and became a stalwart of the school radio club.
At 18 John went to Sheffield University to read electrical and electronic engineering, worked in Coventry, and went to Canada to do an MEng in electrical and electronic engineering at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario. After travelling coast to coast, he took up work back in the UK as an electronic designer.
John was married to Linda for 23 years, and they had three wonderful children, Jenny, Amy and Alan. All of them were much loved, and have made their own way in the world, with John being a grandfather to four grandchildren. His children remember him for his sense of fun, love of music and good advice.
John worked in the IT industry in sales, project management, and consultancy.
John received a call to join the Quakers Reading Meeting in 1999. He helped spearhead the national use of the internet in support of communities as an early adopter of virtual meetings. He was appointed an Overseer of Reading Meeting responsible for pastoral care, and later an Elder of Winchester Meeting, with shared responsibility for the spiritual health of the meeting.
John received the call to join the Findhorn Foundation in October 2004. He immediately felt at home after completing Experience Week, and that this was the community he had been searching for all his life. He lived in Cluny College for six months, doing the LCG and FP6 programmes and spent over a year as a Findhorn Foundation co-worker, in Cullerne Gardens and as a Committed Volunteer in the Kitchen and Park Homecare. Interspersed with this, he lived within the wider Findhorn Foundation Community, worked as a volunteer and helped people with their computers and websites. He was voted as a member of the NFA Community Association Council in April 2008. John also spent nine months working and living in community at Damanhur, Italy.
John completed two-year Interfaith Seminar training with his ordination taking place in August 2008. He subsequently practised as an Interfaith Minister for many years.
His qualities were his ability to commit to a person, task or organisation, his determination, persistence and perseverance, loyalty to friends and fellow workers, his integrity and his ability to speak his truth.
He always had a love of learning and continued to find ways of deepening his sense of self and the world around him. He leaves his thoughts behind in his book and website work, Cities of Light.
John’s life became full of gratitude, joy, laughter and love when he really accepted and started to live his purpose: to know and serve God and realised his true identity as love. He knew that he was good enough.
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John wrote this eulogy himself as part of his end-of-life plan which he had worked on diligently for several years before his death.
Born in Bermuda, worked in the IT industry, a very engaged Quaker, including being an Elder. Married with 3 children. For 18 years at Findhorn, incl. FF co-worker, NFA member & active NFA Councillor
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