OBE for Abbey Insurance founder

OBE for Abbey Insurance founder

A BOARDMILLS man who has spent 45 years in the insurance industry has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Frazer Evans says he feels “very humble” at being given the honour, which is recognition of his services to the economy and to charity.

Mr Evans, who is 63 and originally from Newtownabbey, was just 19 when he founded Abbey Insurance in 1963 with his partner, George Storey.

“We had worked together in Prudential Insurance and decided to start our own company,” he recalled. “We have been very lucky that it has grown so well over the years.

Mr Evans, who is still a shareholder in the company, says there have been a lot of changes since those early days.

“When we started off everything was done with pen and paper. Now it’s all internet and computer driven, though that it probably for the better.”

Mr Evans is a keen supporter of the Brain Injury Matters charity, which helps people who suffer brain injuries lead as normal a life as possible. “It is a very good and worthwhile charity, which does a lot of fine work,” he explained.

Mr Evans is a talented sportsman. He was a top badminton player who represented Northern Ireland at the 1978 Commonwealth Games and also played for Ireland. He also played cricket for Saintfield and rugby for Ballynahinch.

He and his wife, Moyra, have three grown-up children, Alexandra, Paul and Michael.

Of receiving the OBE he says: “I am very surprised, very honoured and very humble. I am sure there many people who are more deserving than me, but I am delighted to accept it.”

• A former Downpatrick police chief has been awarded the CBE in the Birthday Honours.

Mr Brendan McGuigan, who is Deputy Chief Inspector at Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland, has received the award for services to justice in Northern Ireland.

Mr McMcGuigan was a superintendent based in Downpatrick and retired from the PSNI as a chief superintendent in 2004 after 34 years in policing.