Tributes to former driving instructor Pat Deehan who 'taught thousands to drive'

Pat, who retired from the job in 2013 when he was 88, was laid to rest in the graveyard at St John’s Church Milltown, Magherafelt, on Sunday.

Driving instructors from the Mid Ulster Drivers’ Association formed a guard of honour with their vehicles outside the church as the cortege arrived at the gates.

Pat, who is survived by his wife Liz, son Niall and daughter Fiona, had been an instructor for 55 years and during that time literally taught thousands of people in the Magherafelt and Cookstown areas to drive.

Born at Station Road in the Magherafelt, Pat started out life as a bus conductor before giving his first lessons to newbie drivers in 1958.

He always took driving seriously and emphasised that the key to good driving was about each motorist taking responsibly for their actions.

He had dual controls fitted to his car and set up his South Derry School of Motoring - the first of its kinds in the area.

For the next 55 years his car with a ‘L’ plates clearly displayed was a familiar sight on the roads.

In his early days teaching people to drive, he also worked towards get implemented a standardised test in Northern Ireland.

In an impressive career, Pat was also a highly qualified accident investigator and reconstruction specialist and was often called as an expert witness in courts.

In a social media post his son Niall, who lives in New Zealand and was unable to get home due to the Covid-19 restrictions, said his dad had passed away peacefully at his Derramore Park home in the presence of those he loved.

He added that as a family, they had taken great strength from the kindness they have received and witnessed, and thanked everyone.

--- A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Thank you