Uel McCrea OBE: Ballyclare Secondary School leads tributes to former principal

Mr McCrea, who served as the school’s headmaster from 1985 until his retirement in 2010, passed away suddenly at his home in Ballyeaston yesterday (Monday, January 22).

A post on the Funeral Times website described Mr McCrea, who received the OBE in the 2010 New Year Honours list in recognition of his services to education, as the “dearly loved husband of Audrey, much loved dad of Alison, loving father-in-law of Craig and devoted Grandpa of Caleb, Micah and Joshua.”

The Doagh Road school’s Acting Principal, Mrs Wendy Shingleton, issued a letter to parents following the news of Mr McCrea’s passing.

Mrs Shingleton said: “It is with great sadness that I must inform you of the death of our former Principal and friend, Mr Uel McCrea OBE.

“Mr McCrea started in Ballyclare Secondary School in 1981 as Vice Principal and four years later became Principal, a job he thoroughly enjoyed for two and a half decades, until he retired in 2010.

“Mr McCrea gave many hours of dedicated service, not only to Ballyclare Secondary School, but to the wider education system.

“He was Chairman of the NEELB’s Education Committee, Chair of the Association of Head Teachers in Secondary Schools and chaired the working party that founded the Controlled Schools’ Support Council (CSSC).

“We pass on our sincere and heartfelt condolences to Mr McCrea’s family and the wider circle of colleagues and friends who will miss him dearly.”

A Service of Thanksgiving will be held in First Ballyeaston Presbyterian Church on January 25 at 11.30 am.