Alan Beard died peacefully at home on 11th August 2024 at the age of 91.
Alan worked for seven decades at the family firm EW Beard, joining in January 1950, aged 17, when the southwest company was led by his father, Geoffrey. He became Beard’s managing director in 1971, then the third-generation family member at the helm of the business founded by his grandfather, Edward William Beard.
He steered the company through many economic and political challenges, and saw company turnover pass £200m.
Alan Beard retired in 2021, aged 88. His lifelong commitment to the company is a family trait – Edward William Beard had worked to 103.
Former Beard non-executive director Chad Murrin, who has known the family since the early 1980s, said: “Alan was a highly respected figure, in the construction and property sectors and in his private and social life. As head of the company, Alan resolutely appointed apprentices and mentored them as they progressed their careers within Beard and the wider construction industry. He was ahead of his time in his approach to developing technically competent construction managers.
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“He led and then supported a very successful well-respected business. I was very sorry to hear of his passing.”
Professor Roger Flanagan, former president of the Chartered Institute of Building, added: “Alan Beard was a true professional. He was caring and helped many people on their career path. He was humble and concerned for other people. His legacy is a beacon for others to follow; always do your best and exceed your own and the client’s expectations. He will be sadly missed.”
Beard completed many high-profile projects under Alan’s stewardship. These included The Bishop Edward King Chapel at Cuddesdon, an impressive elliptical building with a lattice-effect limestone exterior, which was the Sterling Prize runner up in 2013.
He oversaw Beard’s growth in the education sector, delivering contracts for schools including Eton, Marlborough and Wellington Colleges, as well as several projects for the University of Oxford.
He is survived by wife Eileen, sons Mark and John, six grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
