Family mourns teacher Paul Hogan killed in Spotswood school fall

The semi-retired principal who died after falling more than three metres onto concrete at a Melbourne school “died doing what he loved” — helping people.

Paul Hogan, 61, was retrieving balls from a roof at St Margaret Mary’s School in Spotswood, where he still worked as a teacher, when he fell through a skylight and suffered critical injuries on June 27.

He died in hospital the following day.

Speaking exclusively to 7NEWS, Hogan’s brother Peter said Hogan climbed on the roof because “he wanted to help”.

“The boys had no balls to play with and he knew they (the balls) all end up on the roof,” he said.

It is believed the school’s principal had warned Hogan against climbing the roof.

“He said, ‘Nah’, and I would (have) too, but that’s just the way we are,” Peter said, adding, “We’re invincible until we’re not”.

“He wasn’t being silly, he just stumbled somehow and went through a skylight and then landed on his back.”

Hogan’s heart stopped for seven minutes as others rushed to provide first aid.

“They grabbed a defibrillator, that got him started again,” Peter said.

‘You made me love school again’

In hospital, Hogan’s family said their goodbyes — and read letters from students — before his life support was switched off on Friday.

One line of a pupil’s letter was particularly special for the family: “You made me love school again.”

“If a teacher can do that, can make you love school again, then you’ve achieved something,” Peter said.

Peter remembered his brother as someone who was “gentle, calm, considerate and loved people”.

“There’s not a harsh word (that) comes from anybody,” he said.

“He died doing what he loves: helping people and caring about people.”

The experienced educator retired 18 months ago but continued with occasional remedial maths classes and was widely respected in the community.

The Sunbury grandfather worked as a teacher and principal at several schools across the city throughout his 36-year career.

Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools executive director Dr Edward Simons said Hogan was a highly regarded educator and leader in the Catholic community.

“We extend our sincere condolences to Paul’s family, friends and colleagues, and we hold all of those impacted in our hearts and prayers.

“Paul was a friend and mentor to many in our MACS community and he will be dearly missed.”

Hogan’s first classroom teaching role was in 1988 and he went on to teach in several schools in Melbourne’s north and west.

He served as principal at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, Sunbury in 2009 and later as principal at St Mary’s Primary School in Ascot Vale in 2016, until his retirement in 2022.

Hogan continued working as a part-time and casual relief teacher at St Anne’s Sunbury, St Mary’s Ascot Vale, and St Margaret Mary’s Spotswood.