Page 52 - Ei Christmas Magazine 2025

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Willie Slattery
Willie Slattery RIP
Willie passed away peacefully at home in
Clarecastle on 20th May 2025, after a short illness.
Willie had retired from Ei in March 2009 after 41
years of great service. He had joined Ei in 1968
as a Supervisor in Transistors. He went on to hold
increasingly responsible positions across the factory,
including Personnel Officer, Production Manager
Smoke Alarm, Manager Injection Moulding &
Toolroom, Auto Insertion and Plant Facilities----the
latter three he held at the same time! These were the
high CapEx operations of the factory and he thrived
in the responsibility.
He would have started the Auto-insertion operation.
Willie was most adaptable and could always be relied
upon to do a superb job. Although he had no formal
technical qualifications, he had an excellent all round
technical understanding of manufacturing equipment
and processes. He was the ‘Go-to’ man to get things
done---he just got on with it!
Willie was interested in a wide range of sports and
was a key leader in the Sports & Social over the
years. He lead Gaelic Football in the early years and
more recently played a bit of Golf. He was also a
good Fisherman and lead several Ei fishing outings
off the Clare coast. In recent years , Willie became
a keen follower of Munster Rugby---attending all
home games in Thomond Park and some away games
as well.
Willie ‘wore the Ei jersey’ with great pride’----a great
company man!
Like many Ei people, members of Willies family
spent some time in their early careers in Ei. His son
, Edward is a Senior Toolmaker with over 35 years’
service.
In a sad irony of this year’s Obituaries, Willie would
have hired both PJ Gilligan and Ian Dunn into Ei.
May they all Rest in Peace together.
Willie is survived by his wife Betty, daughters Ethel &
Ruth, sons Edward and Peter and their wider families.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.
Obituaries
Dereck Saunders RIP
David Brown RIP
Dereck passed away peacefully at the Ennis Road
Care Facility on 5th.November 2025. Dereck,
originally from Glengormly, Co. Antrim lived in
Tullyvarraga Hill, Shannon since the late 1960’s.
Dereck joined Ei in 1969 as Manager of IT (Information
Technology), providing Computer Services to Ei and
the other General Electric companies in Ireland---Ecco,
Dundalk, Specialty Materials (SMI) Dublin, Atlantic
Pant Construction (APC) Bray and Electronic Trading
Company (ETC) Dundalk. The late 1960’s was very
much the early days of Computers---the PC did not
arrive until the 1980’s.
A Honeywell Mainframes Computer was located in
Ei and Dereck would have quite a team of Software
Developers and key-punch operators as few if any
ERP systems existed and all the processing and
software development was done in Shannon.
Dereck would have played a key role in 1988, during
the transitioning from the GE Company to the new Ei
Electronics Company, following the MBO.
Outside of work, Dereck’s passion was Golf and
he would have served as Captain and President of
Shannon Golf Club. He was an active member of the
Ei Golf Society up to quite recently. And he was a
keen Fisherman.
During his Ei career, Dereck would have served under
3 Irish Managing Directors ---
Frank McCabe, Mike Meehan and Mick Guinee.
Dereck was a great colleague, a total gentleman, never
known to have lost his temper!
Dereck retired in 1995 and so lived a long 30 years in
retirement.
Dereck’s wife, Maureen, predeceased him and he is
survived by his children Melanie, Angela, Heather and
Martin and their families.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.
David worked in Ei in the 1970’s and early 1980’s
as an Accountant in Finance Department.
He would have been well known to some of our
longer-term colleagues.
David passed away peacefully on 6th September
2025.
David is survived by his wife Therese, his mother
Sylvia, and sister Jenny.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.
Dereck Saunders
David Brown