Alexander Frederick Herzer

Alec was born in 1937 just before the second world war and grew up with his parents in Earls Court in London. His father was a policeman in Soho and his mother a seamstress for wealthy families. During the war whenever there were air raids, he remembers hiding under the kitchen table with his mother.

Alec was very keen on cycling and would regularly cycle down to Brighton. His passions were for classical music (especially organ music), poetry and calligraphy at which he became very proficient. In later years Rev David Hanna helped him to have his thought-provoking poetry published in three volumes.

He worked for a time with the Royal Geographic Society preparing maps including one of Mount Everest. At about 19 years old, Alec joined the Army and was finally discharged in Cyprus but instead of flying home he cycled all the way up through Italy, over the Alps and on to London.

Fast forward when four sisters from the Unified Family — June, Marion, Eve and Patricia — first met Alec who collected the entrance fees from people attending various talks at the 59 Society in Notting Hill, London. Alec noticed that they always attended the talks on more spiritual topics, so one day he asked them if they belonged to any particular organisation. Consequently, he was invited to listen to lectures about a new revelation from Korea.

Arriving at the Unified Family centre, 17 Emperor's Gate, South Kensington it must have been rather intimidating for him to be visiting four young ladies, who later became the sisters he never had. At first Alec always arrived late for the Divine Principle lectures, so one day we politely asked him if there was a reason why he was always late. He sheepishly replied that he didn't much like the singing so he would wait until it stopped by riding around the block several times before knocking on our door. He later really enjoyed the singing and would arrive in a flurry with his bicycle and clips around his trouser legs.

The four sisters had witnessed to many very lovely young British people but none joined. Then Marion received spiritually that English people would join after four people from the Commonwealth had first joined. The privilege of being the first to join in Britain had first to go to Commonwealth citizens. After Bob Duffy from Canada had joined, Alec was the first English person to promise to come and hear the Divine Principle teaching. He was the first English person to accept the Divine Principle and understand the Mission of True Parents but he wasn't the first to move into the Centre, that was Ian Alexander.

Alec had a very sophisticated and glamorous girl friend who delayed him joining. However, Alec must have realised that she was also very self-centred, so was able to separate from her and follow God's calling to join The Family. She was the very opposite of his future wife Elisabeth who was completely unselfish and very giving.

Soon after Alec joined, his father, Fred, also came to live with us in the big house we had rented next to Streatham Common in 1968. Fred was a delightful person, always cheerful, with a ready quip or joke to share with us. We shared many humorous moments with him and Alec who also had a keen sense of humour.

At that time the national leaders chose and matched the couples to be blessed in Korea in 1970, with the proviso of awaiting True Father's approval of the matches when they arrived in Korea. Paul Werner recommended his sister Elisabeth to be matched to Alec. Father was very proud of their match because Elisabeth couldn't speak English, so they couldn't communicate properly but had still trusted the choice made for them. Father would smile every time he passed Elisabeth and saw her studying English, and he used to praise their couple for their faithfulness. Alec and Elisabeth were Blessed as part of the 777 Couple Blessing on 21st October 1970.

Around 1975 Alec was living in our training centre, Rowlane Farmhouse in Reading and working in the publications department producing witnessing material and a newspaper, The Rising Tide. Later Alec and Elisabeth moved into Dorney Cottage near Windsor where their son Une was born, much to their delight. At that time Alec was working with others to produce many thousands of candles to be sold by our fundraising teams around the country.

He was then called to the USA to help set up our newspaper, The News World, where he worked for four years as a draft layout artist. He returned to the UK and was first a missionary in Cardiff and Bristol, followed by a move up to the church's printing works in Mansfield.

He and Elisabeth then moved back to London and were living in our HQ in Lancaster Gate where he worked in the publications department. He also did several other missions in London with the jewellery business and Saeilo, our machine tool sales company. For a short period Alec was the National Leader of the British Unification Movement.

For a while Alec and Elisabeth were pioneering our mission in Newcastle, before taking up the role of manager of Cleeve House training centre in Wiltshire. His last mission was as manager of Livingstone House training centre in London where they worked diligently for many years and where Alec set up his cartography business, Venture Graphics, through which he produced cartography for many of the West End art galleries and also sold marble vases.

Alec was a jovial and very energetic person, who walked fast and drove his car fast, the latter became a point of concern to others in his advancing years. Alec was very sincere in his life of faith and never stopped witnessing. During their thirty-two years together, Alec and Elisabeth led a very rich and exciting life until Elisabeth went to her eternal home in 2002.

In his latter years Alec would regularly walk with other brothers in the woods around Chislehurst both in the hot summer as well as snowy winter days. His last years were spent being well looked after in two care homes nearby.

Your infectious laugh and presence will be missed, dear Alec, but we are happy that you will be with your beloved wife and all your ancestors in your eternal home.

Alec lived a beautiful life that touched and had an impact on many of our members.