Instrumentation provider and inspection equipment company DeFelsko Corp. (Ogdensburg, New York, USA) announced that company president David Beamish died peacefully with his family by his side on November 4, 2019.
Beamish passed away after a 32-month battle with cancer. He was 63 years old.
Born in 1955 and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Beamish studied civil engineering at Carleton University and ultimately became recognized as a Professional Engineer. In his spare time, he ran his own software development company and pursued his passion for flying powered and unpowered glider aircraft.
It was while volunteering as a gliding instructor that he met his wife of 32 years, Linda. After marrying, they left their respective professional careers to join DeFelsko, which was then a small distributor and manufacturer of testing instrumentation with fewer than 10 employees. The company was founded by Linda’s father, Frank Koch.
During his time there, Beamish was responsible for worldwide sales and distribution channels, while contributing significantly to new product development and marketing initiatives. In his roles, he traveled the world to help develop the company’s distributor network while educating users and furthering the company’s reach.
He also chaired and participated in many industry committees, including ASTM, SSPC, and NACE International, and actively worked to improve industry standards and processes.
According to the company, Beamish’s work ethic and communication skills helped him gain a comprehensive understanding of market needs — along with inspiration for how DeFelsko could meet those industry demands. During Beamish’s 31-year tenure at DeFelsko, the company grew significantly to the point where it currently has over 90 employees, along with distribution in nearly every country.
Linda Beamish, David's wife, has taken over as president after 31 years working alongside David as vice president. David's son, Michael, is now assuming additional responsibilities as vice president and general manager.
“The DeFelsko team has lost a beloved and honest friend who will be greatly missed by our entire staff and business partners around the world,” the company says in a statement. Beamish’s complete obituary can be read here.
Source: DeFelsko, www.defelsko.com/announcement.