We commend our brother, Edward John Hulford, Priest, to God and give thanks for his ministry in our Diocese and in the Anglican Church of Canada.
Ed died on Saturday, 30 July 2022 at St Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver.
Born in Makinak, MB on September 17, 1923, Ed and his parents moved to Victoria soon after. Ed sang in Christ Church Cathedral, Victoria choir as a boy chorister and benefited from the renowned Stanley Bully, the Cathedral Choir Director, who had been trained at Westminster Abbey. Ed was well-known for his exceptional gift of singing both the Mass as well as contemporary songs.
Ed was educated at the University of British Columbia, where he graduated with a BA in 1946. During his time at UBC he was an altar server at St James. He went on to study at Trinity College, University of Toronto, where he obtained an LTh.
He was ordained to the diaconate in 1949 and to the priesthood in 1950 here in the Diocese of New Westminster.
Ed served curacies at Christ Church Cathedral and at St James, Vancouver where he first served as an Assistant Priest during Archbishop Somerville’s time as Rector. Ed was appointed Rector of St James, Vancouver beginning in 1960 until 1965. He also served for a time as Regional Dean of Burrard.
Ed’s primary calling was to prison ministry. He was a prison chaplain at Okalla Prison Farm in Burnaby, the Lower Mainland Correction Centre, the Lower Mainland Correctional Centre Women’s Unit, and New Haven Correctional Centre. He also served as Chaplain to prisoners who were hospitalized. In 1970 he was appointed Senior Protestant Chaplain in the British Columbia Corrections Service. In 1975 he was appointed Director, Religious Programs for the BC Corrections Branch. He retired from the public service in 1988.
Ed is survived by The Revd Bruce Gifford, his brother Stanley’s children, Vera Anderson (née Hulford), Gordon Hulford and Elaine Hulford and his sister Evelyn’s son, Ken Farey along with great-nieces and nephews.
A Requiem Mass will be said in St. John, Shaughnessy on Wednesday, August 17th at 11 am.
Please remember our brother Ed, in your prayers and at the altar.