BESA mourns death of former president
26th August 2025
UK: The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has announced the death of former president Robert (Rab) Fletcher after a lengthy battle with cancer.
The former mechanical services team manager at Fife Council Building Services for nearly 30 years, Fletcher was president of BESA in 2022/23.
Fletcher also served as chairman of BESA Scotland for several years and was one of the founders of the BESA Local Authority Forum, which he also chaired. This influential network forged strong links between public sector specifiers and Scottish contractors.
He was a powerful advocate of young engineers, a committed champion of apprenticeships and was lead mentor for Fife Council Building Services mechanical apprentices.
Chief executive officer David Frise commented: “Rab was a delightful man who worked extremely hard on behalf of our members during a difficult period for the industry. Despite his own health struggles, he remained extremely generous with his time and support, providing inspirational leadership throughout his time as president and as an officer.
“Everyone who met Rab is mourning his loss and we will all miss his cheerful personality and wise counsel,” he added.
