written by Brian Syms – Former UKSTT Council Member
It is with great sadness, I am advising UKSTT and its members of the recent sudden death of my former colleague and good friend Allen Dawes on 12th September 2020 at the age of 81, following a short battle with a respiratory disease.
Allen was a former UKSTT member and worked with many trenchless technology companies over the 30 plus years I knew him, most of which were in turn Corporate Members. Although Allen initially trained as a draughtsman with a view to a career in the shipping industry, he soon found that his talents lay in ‘sales’! I first met Allen in the later 1980s when he worked with the Cramlington based jetting company Hadrian Hygiene. He would later work in sales/marketing for several familiar trenchless companies including Insituform, Waterflow, DCS, Hydrok UK Ltd. and Clancy Docwra Ltd. in addition to being a partner in a local Sunderland based consultancy business.
Allen was regarded as one of the good guys and very much a gentleman. He took interest in all members of a business he visited and always had time for a chat with reception staff, secretaries and security staff. He was a stickler for ensuring everyone was looked after at any event he organised for his employer – I can recall Allen going out himself to purchase specific food for those of us with special diet requirements.
Allen’s family has requested that anyone wishing to make a charitable contribution, would you consider the Alzheimer’s’ Society, a charity close to Allen and the family. If you wish to add to the specific tribute to Allen, I can provide the link.
I shall miss our chats and putting the world to rights! However, never fear Allen – I shall continue the search of the holy grail to find the perfect pork pie!
In these strange days of the pandemic, I hope that you are all keeping well, staying safe and looking after yourselves.