Sir John Gorman - Obituary. An edited version of this was published in the Irish Times of June 7th

by Anton McCabe

Sir John Gorman – born February 1^st, 1923, died May 26^th 2014

Sir John Gorman, who has died, was the only Catholic to be a senior elected Unionist representative in the North since World War Two. He was an Ulster Unionist representative, first to the Northern Ireland Forum in 1996, then from 1998 to 2003 to the Northern Ireland Assembly. He chaired the Forum, and was the Assembly’s Deputy Speaker. He was a respected Forum chair. When disorder erupted he became slightly red in the face, gave the unruly a headmasterly look over the top of his glasses – and was obeyed.

He was earlier a war hero, winning the Military Cross for bravery in World War Two.

John Reginald Gorman was born in February 1923 outside Omagh, Co Tyrone, eldest of four children to Jack Gorman, a Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) District Inspector, and his wife Annette (née O’Brien), both Catholics, Munster natives, and strong Unionists. 

Gorman was educated at the Loreto Convent, Omagh: Rockport School, Co Down: the Imperial Service College in Windsor, England: and Portora Royal School in Enniskillen. At 18 he joined the British Army and was commissioned a lieutenant, landing in Normandy a fortnight after the D-Day landings. Gorman won the Military Cross by driving his tank straight down a hill, ramming a better-armoured German tank, and putting it out of action.

After the War he followed his father into the RUC, entering as a District Inspector.

During the IRA campaign of the 1950s, he liaised with the authorities in the Republic in drawing up lists of suspects to be interned. He also carried out liaison between MI5 operating in the North and MI6 in the Republic.

With the IRA campaign over, he took on new challenges at the British Overseas Airline Corporation (now part of British Airways). There he was successively Head of Security: Head of Personnel: Manager for the USA: and Manager India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. He refused the position of Manager Southern Africa, because such meant building relations with white minority regimes.

After nearly 20 years, he returned to the North in 1979 as Chief Executive and Deputy Chairman (a combined post) of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. He was proud to have left a high quality housing stock on retirement.

He is survived by hi wife Heather: daughters Angela and Rosanagh: son Johnny: grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his son Justin.