It is with great sadness that we learned this week of the passing of former BPCA President, John Kay.
John was a familiar face to many in the pest management industry, with a career spanning 35 years.
Joining Rentokil from the Royal Navy, he then took a role at Wakefield Council before finally moving to Killgerm’s technical department in 1990, where he worked until his retirement.
BPCA legacy
President of the BPCA in 1997/98, John was dedicated to helping maintain and improve good practice in the pest control industry.
He believed it was important for everyone in the sector to use our experiences to continually examine our strengths and weaknesses, and evolve where necessary.
BPCA Membership Manager, Kevin Higgins, worked alongside John and described him as a splendid representative for the industry. He said:
“John was always professional but his genial manner made newcomers to the BPCA Executive Board feel welcome and needed.
“I know that members around the UK who had dealings with John had nothing but praise for him.
“I also had the pleasure of working alongside John when he was chairman of the BASIS/PROMPT Committee in the early days of CPD. His contribution to training and standards is part of his legacy for our industry.
“John was held in high esteem and he’ll be very much missed by all who knew him.”
Killgerm stalwart
John is fondly remembered by his colleagues at Killgerm Chemicals, as a long-serving member of the technical department before he retired in 2007.
During his long service at Killgerm, John was an adviser and mentor to many colleagues, including Matthew Davies. He commented:
“I was lucky enough to spend my formative years at Killgerm alongside John and it was a real pleasure to work with him. As well as being a font of knowledge he was a true gentleman.
“He will be dearly missed, and we offer our condolences to John’s family, friends and industry colleagues.”
Away from working life, John is remembered by all who knew him as a loving husband, caring and proud father and grandfather.
Source: Online