Rev Trevor Kelly: Tributes paid to long-serving Newtownabbey teacher and CoI curate

Rev Trevor Kelly, who served as curate in the Church of Ireland Parishes of Drummaul (Randalstown), Duneane (Antrim) and Ballyscullion (Magherafelt), passed away peacefully after a short illness.

Rev Kelly (55) took ill on Tuesday October 11 and died on Saturday evening in the Intensive Care Unit of Antrim Area Hospital.

A post on the Funeral Times website described him as the “much loved husband of the late Aurelia, devoted father of Andrew and Rebecca, much loved father in law of Laura. Beloved son of Betty and the late Eric and dear brother of Glenn and Lynne.”

It added: “House is strictly private. Family flowers only. Donations in lieu, if desired, may be sent to James Henry Funeral Services, 100 Broughshane Street, Ballymena BT43 6EE for NI Chest, Heart and Stroke.”

Paying tribute, the Bishop of Connor, the Rt Rev George Davison, said: “I am devastated at the news of the death of the Rev Trevor Kelly and want to assure Andrew, Rebecca and the whole Kelly and Martin family circles of my prayerful sympathy at this very sad time for them.

“Trevor was the epitome of a Christian pastor, a man of sincere faith with a gentle soul and genuine care for people. His warmth and friendship were appreciated by all who knew him, in the church and in his ‘daytime’ job as a teacher in Hazelwood Integrated College.

“Whilst we are all struggling to take in the fact that Trevor’s death comes less than a year since his beloved wife Aurelia died in a tragic motor accident, I’m praying that each of us will find comfort in the knowledge that they have gone ahead of us into God’s new kingdom, where tears and sorrow are banished and all things are made new in Christ.”

Rev Kelly’s late wife Aurelia died on November 4, 2021, following a two-vehicle road traffic collision at the Frosses Road area of Ballymoney.

The Church of Ireland curate had been a teacher at Hazelwood Integrated College in Newtownabbey for 30 years.

Paying tribute on social media, a spokesperson for the Whitewell Road school said: “This is a tragic loss to Trevor’s family and to our school community. Trevor was one of our most longstanding members of staff having worked at the college for the past 30 years. He was a member of the college Senior Leadership Team and Head of Business Studies and Public Services, as well as serving as the college Chaplain.

“The entire Hazelwood community is devastated at Trevor’s sudden passing. To assist in supporting our staff and pupils through this time of grief, trained staff from the Education Authority’s Critical Incident Response Team have been assigned to the school to provide support.”

A Service of Thanksgiving for Rev Kelly’s life will be held in St Colmanell’s Parish Church in Ahoghill on Wednesday, October 19 at 12.30pm. Interment afterwards at the adjoining churchyard.