A Tribute to Bob Duddin (1949 – 2022)
The picture is of Bob, wife Bev and his two sons Chris and Nick at Chris’s wedding when he married his sweetheart, Charley earlier this year, Bob was so proud of his family and I know how proud they are of him …. What a lovely memory and a way to remember him!…………………….
I first met Bob Duddin some 27 years ago in 1995, when I first joined MHS Alarms as an engineer, my immediate impression was that this guy had a wealth of knowledge in Electronics and “all things” Alarms, but I quickly learned that there was so much more to Bob than his legendary knowledge.
Bob was a one-off and was totally dedicated to MHS and the Alarm industry in general, he was a shepherd, never part of the flock, he was forthright, opinionated and never suffered fools …. that is what I loved about him … his originality. But there were countless other things about him that I admired … his humility and his humour, he always had time for people, he very rarely indulged in small talk, a conversation with Bob was always engaging and meaningful and left you pondering. He would talk about music, sport (especially his beloved Albion), the seasons, current affairs and all those fantastic things that make life on this (sometimes) miserable planet worth living for.
He cared about life, people, ecology, the planet and he spoke about them, Bob would speak to all people in exactly the same manner whatever their status or standing, he never took on a persona other than his very own.
Bob loved his music and we used to try and catch one another out with our knowledge of the Beatles and music in general, he was witty and humorous and came out with many profound statements, I remember discussing the Beatles with him once and his take was ….“Trouble with the Beatles, they are all dying in the wrong order” that made me laugh and typified Bobs deadpan sense of humour.
Bob’s work ethic never ceased to amaze me, his appetite for work was exhausting, he would work all day in “Uncle Bobs mission control centre” before going home and firing up his computer at home, to continue his crusade to ensure that MHS/Tennals had every accreditation available to man! …………. he was always the first in and last to leave the office … just thinking about his energy levels exhausted me.
He introduced the Company to many of our “blue chip” customers like University of Birmingham and West Midlands Police and those contracts have remained with the company largely due to the respect those organisations had for Bob.
I was fortunate enough to speak to Bob a week or so before he left us and despite being very poorly (and my subsequent protests) he was still fretting about the forthcoming NSI visit….. typical Bob
Bob has left a legacy at Tennals Fire and Security and will never be forgotten. His knowledge and advice will be missed by all and the office will be sadder place without his smiling, good humoured face.
Deepest condolences go out from all at Tennals Fire and Security, to his loving wife Bev and two sons Chris and Nick
Like everyone else who knew him, I will miss Bob dearly, I will always remember his willingness to help with a problem, I will remember his rants, that usually concluded with a smile … most of all I will miss his humility and his humanity
RIP Bob
Bob Duddin – 8 May 1949 – 13 November 2022
John Ruffles
