Doug Devlin: the heart of Drives & Controls
Doug Devlin (left) with Sir Bobby Charlton, who opened the Drives & Controls Show in 2006.Many AEMT members will have known Doug very well, and many considered him a friend. The secretariat also worked closely with Doug and we share the loss among the association. As with everything in his life, Doug was also a passionate supporter of the AEMT, and it is thanks to him that the AEMT featured in the magazine on numerous occasions. Our thoughts are with his family and countless friends in the industry.
Drives and Controls wrote the following obituary:
Doug, who had worked on the magazine since the mid-1980s – initially as the magazine’s sales representative for the Midlands – was a larger-than-life character who made an immediate impression on anyone who met him.
Doug’s passion for Drives & Controls was boundless. He was a strong believer in the value of personal face-to-face contacts, racking up tens of thousands of miles every year as he criss-crossed the UK to visit his customers, many of whom were also his friends.
Doug was also the driving force behind the Drives & Controls Show which has gone from strength to strength in recent years, propelled by his passion and enthusiasm.
Doug was born in Glasgow and had a short career as a professional footballer at Wolverhampton Wanderers and Walsall FC, before moving on to publishing. He worked for many years for Drives & Controls before becoming one of the three directors of DFA Media which acquired the magazine in 2004.
DFA’s Managing Director, Ian Atkinson, says: “Doug was fiercely passionate about three things in life: his family, Drives & Controls and football. Doug was unique in the way he cared about his family, the company and the magazine. He’ll be sorely missed by all who knew him.”
Doug is survived by his wife, Trish, three daughters and grandchildren.
Dougs funeral will take place on Monday, July 3rd; for clients of Doug, the Devlins have requested family flowers only and donations to Cancer Research. Should anyone wish to send cards to the family, the address is:
14a Gorway Road, Walsall. WS1 3BB