FRIENDS and colleagues have paid tribute to retiring school principal Bill Dimery.
The father-of-two told the Times of his decision to resign from the position he has held at Howick College for 18 years last week.
The decision comes as a result of ongoing health issues relating to legionnaires’ disease, which he contracted in Asia earlier this year.
“You can carry on doing what you’ve always done and that’s fine in some respects but, especially after that experience, you think well maybe you had better look at something else,” he says.
Acting principal Ian Morrison says the long-standing principal is a “well-loved personality” and will be missed.
“We all know Bill’s health has not been good since the pneumonia, so I think most people are quite understanding of why he’s made the decision,” he says.
“Many staff members have served with him for a number of years and are very upset about the fact that he’s retiring.
“And [students] are curious about what might happen and who might take over.”
Mr Dimery was appointed to the role of principal at Howick College in 1991, and has been a principal for a total of 21 years.
Wayne Johnson, chairman of the school’s board of trustees, says board members are saddened by the news of his resignation, but are grateful for Mr Dimery’s long service to the college.
“Some [board members] expressed surprise but I think everybody understood the reasons behind it,” says Mr Johnson. “Bill’s health has to come first and he’s still recovering.”
Mr Dimery says he’ll miss staff and students, but admits he’s enjoying being a “man of leisure”.
“There’s lot of really neat things about the school and the job that are obviously going to be missed. On the other hand, there’s a few stress sores that are not going to be missed.
“I’m not really stressing about anything at the moment.”
His role will be advertised later this month and it is hoped a new principal will be in place by the end of the school year.
