(Edward) Chad Varah

Anglican clergyman, born in Barton-on-Humber, N Lincolnshire, EC England, UK. He studied at Oxford and Lincoln Theological College, and was ordained in 1936. He worked in various parishes before becoming rector at St Stephen Walbrook in the City of London (1953). Disturbed by the number of people committing suicide, he set up the Samaritans, a free telephone counselling service available 24 hours a day to support those feeling suicidal. He became a Companion of Honour in 1999.

Edward Chad Varah, CH, CBE (born November 12, 1911) is a British Anglican priest, best known as the founder of The Samaritans (now known just as "Samaritans") in 1953, the world's first crisis hotline organisation, offering non-religious telephone counselling to those contemplating suicide.

His father was a priest in the village of Barton-on-Humber and he was educated at Worksop College in North Nottinghamshire and Keble College, Oxford University, and ordained as an Anglican clergyman in 1936.

Varah was closely associated with the founding of the comic The Eagle in 1950, working as a scriptwriter for it and sister publication Girl, as well as "Scientific and Astronautical Consultant" (as Varah put it) to Dan Dare.

Varah became rector of the church of St Stephen Walbrook in the City of London, serving from 1953 until 2003, when he retired at the age of 92.