The following tribute to Sir John Gorman was delivered in the Assembly Chamber today by the Ulster Unionist Party Leader, Mike Nesbitt MLA.
“Mr Speaker, today the House gathers to pay tribute to a former Member of this House, a public servant of the highest calibre, a business leader of true stature, and a soldier whose feats of derring-do were simply legendary.
“To say Sir John Gorman lived a full life would not even begin to do him Justice.
He was a War Hero at 21, decorated with a Military Cross for his actions at Normandy as a Tank Commander with the Irish Guards.
“After the War he was a District Inspector in the RUC before pursuing a career with BOAC, the British Overseas Aircraft Corporation, before returning home to head up the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the Institute of Directors.
“If that wasn’t enough, in 1996 he was elected to the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue serving as its Chairman.
“In 1998 he was elected to the Assembly as an Ulster Unionist MLA for North Down, going on to become a deputy speaker.
It was indeed a full and varied life of service and it was a life woven from threads throughout the island of Ireland.
“John Gorman was born in Omagh on 1st February 1923, but his family roots were in Tipperary (on his Father’s side) and County Cork (on his Mother’s).
“Both his parents were Unionists and both were Catholics, a Faith to which Sir John remained true all his days.
“His Father served in the Irish Guards in the First World War and on his return joined the RIC. He was present for the handover of Phoenix Park Barracks to no less a person than Michael Collins and transferred to the RUC
“John was a boarder at Portora Royal School in Enniskillen but soon found himself in the Irish Guards Armoured Division and in the thick of the action in Normandy where he used his Sherman Tank to ram a German Tiger Royal tank, an action for which he received the Military Cross and the French Croix de Guerre.
“In 1998, every member of the first Assembly was invited to Brussels to familiarize themselves with the work of the European Union. Those who were on the coach from the airport will never forgot the moment when the city came into view and Sir John uttered the simply, factual words “Last time I was here, I was liberating Brussels from Nazi rule.”
“His war service also saw him participate in the liberation of Belgium and Holland, through Arnhem, northern Germany and on to Denmark.
“Over the weekend, I came across a photo of Sir John, posing with another military hero, Capt Doug Beattie, another holder of the Military Cross, at an event in Killyleagh to mark the 90th Anniversary of the Poppy Appeal. Sir John was one of a number of speakers recounting their war exploits. Sir John stole the show.
“After the war, in 1946 Sir John’s next stop was Enniskillen and the Royal Ulster Constabulary, and whilst under training he and his colleagues managed to build a poteen still, and present a bottle to Princess Elizabeth at their passing out parade. Not surprisingly Sir John recalls there was “a frightful row!”
“After passing out he served in north Antrim and it was during this period that he met his wife Heather.
“In 1979 he became Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive of the Housing Executive and indeed was so successful in this role that one politician, now First Minister of this Assembly, referred to him as “the acceptable face of the Housing Executive.”
“In the mid 1980s he became Director of the Institute of Directors and I had the pleasure of working with him and the IoD’s then Chairman, Sir George Quigley. Sir John and Sir George commanded the respect of the business community, north and south of the border and together promoted a focus on cross-border trade, with the novel concept of an eastern economic corridor, running from Belfast to Dublin.
“And after all this he decided to enter into politics.
“The last time I was with him was at a branch meeting of the Party in Killyleagh. He was barely mobile and said he was there simply to support me. I was humbled by that gesture and in his death I am inspired to deliver better politics as a tribute to his memory.
“He truly was one of a kind
“John Gorman.
“Ulsterman. Irishman. Soldier. Businessman. Politician. Public servant. The Public’s friend. Husband, father and grandfather.”