BOB LUCAS Clements had a life of different parts. The earlier part of his career was in the British army and is a part of his life about which I have little knowledge. If he served his regiment as well as he served his employers in industry later, he will have served them very well indeed.
Bob was a precise and punctual man. He had a magnificently straightforward way about him. He always gave it to you as it was rather than how you might like it to be. He was a man of great integrity and outstanding honesty.
Bob joined Cavan Crystal in 1970 and learned everything that he could from all available sources. The company was only six months old when he joined and he established agency arrangements and export structures for it in 20 countries.
He joined the Irish Dairy Board in October 1974 as a regional manager and became its international sales director in 1979. He held this position until he retired in June 1990. In this capacity he was an outstanding ambassador for Ireland and its dairy industry. He gained universal respect for his attention to the needs of the customer and his precise way of doing business. He strengthened the representation structure for the Irish Dairy Board in far flung places around the world.
His loyalty to the chain of command within the company and to the company were exemplary. His continuing concern was to uphold its reputation and standing in terms of delivery on its promises. He was doggedly tenacious in the pursuit of this goal, which sometimes meant that he did not have time to suffer fools gladly. He was never concerned for his own comfort or leisure time and sometimes the time between trips left him precious chance even to go home to Killucan.
After he retired from the Irish Dairy Board he went on to serve the Williams Group in the export of malt and displayed the same qualities as previously before retiring from this position about two years ago.
On behalf of his former colleagues I wish to extend our [sincerest sympathy to his wife Caryl and to his children Rosannagh, Charles and Daniel on their sad loss.