Obituaries Australia

Concrete Indus­tries lost a devoted servant and the staff a good friend on March 30 when death, with cancer its executioner, took Alan Chambers, the Company Secretary.

All who knew him must agree with the words of the Rev. W. N. Rook, Rector of St. Alban's Church of England at Epping, Sydney, where the funeral service was held.

Said Mr. Rook: ''Alan Chambers was a fine man . . . a courageous man who faced the reality of the shortness of life, yet had a keen sense of spiritual values and the sure knowledge that life is eternal . . . a good man.''

Mr. Chambers had an operation last August and, after a period of convalescence, returned to work.

However, his condi­tion gradually deterio­rated and a few weeks after he laid down his work for the last time on February 20 it became evident that his fight was a losing one.

There was scarcely a vacant seat in St. Al­ban's Church when the funeral service began.

In addition to Mr. Chambers' family and immediate friends, the mourners included a large number of C.I. directors and their wives, executives and staff members, as well as outside business associates.

Since his death many warm tributes have been paid to the late Mr Chambers' professional and personal qualities.

The Chairman of Directors (Mr. W. V. Armstrong) said that he and other directors would miss Mr. Cham­bers greatly, not only as a highly efficient official of the company but also as a good friend.

Alan Chambers was one of the most reliable, conscientious and honest men I have ever been associated with," Mr. Armstrong said.

''He saw the company grow from very small beginnings to the organisation it is today, with a capital of £1,800,000, and in his posi­tion as Secretary he steered it through all the intricacies connect­ed with that growth.

''He was more than a good and loyal servant of the company; he was a friend of every em­ployee."

The Managing Direc­tor (Mr. K. B. C. Mil­burn) said that Mr. Chambers' death had left him with a keen sense of personal loss.

''Apart from his in­valuable assistance in conducting the affairs of the company, I and my family were close friends of Alan and his family," he said.

''No company ever had a more loyal employee; no man had a better friend; no com­munity had a better citizen.''

The General Manager (Mr. J. N. Davenport): ''Alan Chambers will be sorely missed by everybody. He was an integral part of Concrete Industries, he helped build its history, he helped all of its people."

And below the execu­tive level the tributes were no less sincere.

Men and women in office and factory everywhere – all of whom, as they knew, were welcome at any time in Mr. Chambers' office to discuss their problems – felt that they had lost a true friend.

One heard such re­marks as ''One of nature’s gentlemen,'' and ''I couldn't have wished for a nicer chap to work under," and ''He always had time for a yarn with the or­dinary blokes on the staff'' and ''It's hard to imagine Head Office without him."

Mr. Chambers joined the company – it was then only Cement Linings Pty. Ltd. as Secretary in July, 1937.

In those days the em­ployees, including the Managing Director and all office and field staff, totalled only 11 or 12.

As new divisions and subsidiaries were form­ed one by one, he be­came Secretary of each in turn, in addition to the original Cement Linings company.

All at Concrete In­dustries extend their heartfelt sympathy to Mr. Chambers' widow and his three children, Helen, Mac and Barbara.