Eddie Gorman (60), an ex-RUC officer, passed away peacefully at his Coleraine home on Thursday after being diagnosed with bowel cancer last winter.
Mr Gorman was sexually abused by Reverend Bill Neely while attending Mount Merrion Church in east Belfast in the 1970s. The predator also targeted him at the scouts, where he was a volunteer.
His landmark case against the Church of Ireland, one of the first of its kind, saw his lawyers issue a writ for damages against the Diocese of Down and Dromore over the handling of the abuse claims.
The church settled out of court for £100,000 at the start of December with Eddie describing it as a “bittersweet pill to swallow” following his diagnosis.
His solicitor Kevin Winters told Sunday Life: “The combined machinations of police and church contrived to suppress Eddie's complaints for decades.“It was only after he heard a radio interview about my personal experience of deceased paedophile priest Malachy Finnegan that he tried to have his case highlighted again.
“His bravery in coming forward not only succeeded in opening up the truth about Neely’s abuse of boys in the Church of Ireland, but it also contributed to overturning a short-sighted view that Irish historic abuse allegations were the preserve of the Catholic Church.
“To that end he was a valued contributor to the Historical Clerical Church Abuse Working Group.
“I was present at meetings when he gave very moving and emotional testimony on the abuse suffered by him at the hands of Neely.
"Through his powerful narrative he showed leadership and gave encouragement, he gave a voice to others.
“Through his unique advocacy he leaves a lasting legacy.”
In 2022 Mr Gorman spoke exclusively to Sunday Life about the abuse he suffered at the hands of “animal” minister Neely.
He said Neely began to prey on him around 1973 when he joined the Scouts at the church, with the minister regularly making him and another boy perform sex acts on one another.
Speaking outside the church in east Belfast, an emotional Eddie relived the horrors inflicted upon him by the man of God.
He said: “I have relatives in the Garden of Remembrance here, and for a long time I’ve been unable to visit them because of what happened here.
“It’s hard because it brings back some very hurtful memories.
“The first time I can remember what I know now was inappropriate behaviour was Neely putting his hand on my right thigh.
“I didn’t know it was wrong and I wasn’t in any way frightened or upset by his actions, but it escalated from there.
“Neely somehow, I don’t know exactly how, asked me had I started touching myself yet.
“I didn’t know what he meant, but there was an explanation that, as I got older, I’d want to.
“He got us to perform various sex acts on each other. As this was happening, he would stand behind me, pressing against my back, looking at what was happening.
“This became a regular occurrence after Scouts. We were mostly in the vestry or the seated Bible study room, sometimes me alone and often with another boy.”
Eddie is survived by his partner, his children Kathy and Philip, grandchildren Keegan, Rebecca and Thomas as well as his brother Jim.