Sir Eric McDowell, (died 10 August 2017, aged 92)
The death has been announced of Sir Eric Wallace McDowell, DSC Econ 1989, former chairman of the Industrial Development Board (IDB) in Northern Ireland.
Educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institute (Inst), Eric McDowell became a qualified chartered accountant in 1948, after his accountancy training was interrupted by war service.
A former senior partner in Deloitte & Haskins, Sir Eric’s directorships included NI Transport Holding Co, TSB Bank NI plc and First Trust Bank. He was Chairman of the IDB from 1986-91, and sat on the Broadcasting Council for NI, the Executive Committee of NI Relate and the Board of trustees for National Relate. He was also a past president of Chartered Accountants Ireland, and had close links with the local Abbeyfield Society.
Awarded a CBE in 1982, he received an honorary DSC Econ from Queen’s in 1989 and was knighted in the 1990 New Year Honours list.
Sir Eric assisted Queen’s in 1980 as a member of the Joint Working Party that established the Chair of Accounting and the Diploma in Accounting course. On the Board of Governors at Inst (and Chairman from 1977-86), he became a member of Queen’s Senate in 1993.
A notice in the Belfast Telegraph said Sir Eric would be "sadly missed by his wife Helen, daughters Jay and Claire, son Martin, daughter-in-law Debbie, son-in-law Nigel, and grandchildren Mark, Jonathan, Andrew, Jamie, Alix and Krissy".
Back to list
Top of Page