Archdeacon Norman Clifford Kempson was rector at Holy Trinity Church from 1973 to 1983 and it was his laid back approachable style that endeared him to his parishioners.

Current rector of Holy Trinity Reverend Canon Frank Hetherington said Archdeacon Kempson was also highly respected by his fellow clergy.

“I would expect that many of those will be here for the funeral on Friday,” he said.

Archdeacon Kempson’s funeral is expected to take place in the presence of other members of the Anglican hierarchy.

It will be held at 11am on Friday at Holy Trinity Church in Orange.

Archdeacon Kempson studied theology at St John’s College at Morpeth and was ordained in Adelaide and he served the Anglican church in that city from 1953 until 1973 when he came to Orange.

After leaving Orange with his wife Helen and family in 1983 he was in charge of a parish in Gladstone in Queensland.

However, the family returned to Orange where he took on the role as rector at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Orange for a second time from 1987-1990.

For the remainder of his working life Norman Kempson was the diocesan archdeacon.

Archdeacon Kempson died in Orange Base Hospital on Saturday.