A former principal and semi-retired teacher has died after falling through a school roof in Melbourne’s inner west last week.
Paul Hogan was rushed to hospital with critical injuries on Thursday after he fell through a roof at St Margaret Mary’s Primary School in Spotswood.
Paul Hogan died on Friday after falling through a skylight at a school.
According to WorkSafe, the 61-year-old was collecting balls from the roof when he fell three metres to the ground through a school building’s skylight about 2.30pm.
He died on Friday.
The executive director of Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools, Dr Edward Simons, said Hogan was a highly regarded educator and leader in the Catholic school system across his 36-year career.
“We extend our sincere condolences to Paul’s family, friends and colleagues, and we hold all of those impacted in our hearts and prayers,” he said.
Hogan was a friend and mentor to many within the Catholic school community and would be dearly missed, Simons said.
Hogan had worked as a teacher since 1988 and worked across schools in the city’s north and west.
He was principal of Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Sunbury in 2009 and of St Mary’s Primary School in Ascot Vale in 2016 until his retirement in 2022.
But he continued working part-time and as a casual relief teacher at schools, including St Anne’s, St Mary’s and St Margaret Mary’s.
Local Government Minister and Williamstown MP Melissa Horne paid tribute to Hogan on social media.
“I extend my most heartfelt condolences to all at St Margaret Mary’s Primary School – Spotswood who ... tragically lost one of their school community, teacher Paul Hogan,” she said.
The school’s sister school, Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School in Newport, also paid tribute to the teacher and principal.
“On behalf of the Sacred Heart school community, I extend our deepest sympathies to our sister parish school, St Margaret Mary’s Primary School, on the sudden passing of your colleague, Paul Hogan,” they wrote in a statement.
“We especially pray for Colleen McCambridge, [the] SMM principal and dear friend of Paul’s, the staff and all those impacted by Paul’s passing. We are thinking of you and sending strength and comfort at this difficult time.”
WorkSafe is investigating the incident.
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