Donald Leeper OBE – a personal reflection
When Donald Leeper died in April this year the industry lost not only an exemplary engineer but a major contributor to the wellbeing of the Building Services Engineering profession. I, like many others, lost a good friend who had provided a source of inspiration and a constant reminder that “doing the right thing” is a lasting way to a successful and happy career.
Donald was a product of Imperial College London gaining a Batchelors degree in mathematics followed by a Masters in mechanical engineering. As is so often the case, his time at university was not all academic and in Don’s case he took up rowing, eventually competing for his college at Henley. He maintained that connection and passion for the sport all his life and was a Member of the HRR Steward’s Enclosure, rarely missing the chance to invite friends and colleagues to join him over at the regatta. I vividly remember being with him at a CIBSE conference in Dublin during the 2000 Olympics when Steve Redgrave won gold for the fourth time. He could hardly contain his celebration, a side of Don not often seen in a working context.
He was also an avid railway modeller. What should have been a garage at his home had been turned into a spotless and very well‐appointed workshop with the most exquisitely detailed reproduction landscape complete with fully controlled rolling stock. This was not just a Hornby set but each piece turned from stock materials, perfectly made in miniature with the same engineering exactness that he also applied to his daytime job.
I first met Donald in 1976 when Graeme Baker (later to become BSRIA Director) brought him to the labs at Bracknell to try and persuade him to get Zisman Bowyer and partners, consulting engineers into membership. He readily agreed but it rapidly became clear that just subscribing to the Association was not nearly sufficient for him. During the 70’s and 80’s the then Department of the Environment used BSRIA and other construction RA’s to undertake near‐market research that was requested directly by the industry. Donald soon headed up the BSRIA “Board of Assessors” comprising individual member representatives, each overseeing on behalf of the Department, the work of BSRIA staff in what was probably the most productive period of industry/government co-operation. Donald had an interest in engineering aspects of design and, along with others, was a key figure in resolving the problem of “Fuzzy Edge disease” – the precursor to the now well-established Design Responsibilities work that has morphed into much of the BIM initiative.
Within his own practice Zisman’s itself was flourishing, particularly in the Health sector with much work won on reputation and repeat business, but this was sorely tested with the arrival of Thatcher’s era of lowest competitive tendering. Donald was deeply affected by the breakdown of well‐established business relationships formed by mutual respect and trust but then maimed by CCT. This eventually led to his CIBSE presidential theme of “Trust and Money” which sought to redress some of the worst aspects of lowest price engineering.
At a personal level Donald became an unofficial mentor to me. Always willing to spend time to help untangle both technical and business issues he gently made sure that BSRIA always kept to its core values of helping its members and the wider community improve. Later, as BSRIA’s Chairman of the Board, he would spend many hours of his precious time guiding, but never dictating progress which during my term as CEO was of inestimable value. It was wholly appropriate that his contributions to industry through the outputs of his business and other connections would be rewarded by the Honours system with an OBE.
Most people who knew Donald will remember him as a serious man but with a ready smile. A thoughtful person who commanded trust but rewarded it with unwavering loyalty. Those that did not know him however will continue to benefit from his influence through his efforts to lift the Building Services Engineering sector to the highest level of engineering and ethical integrity.
Donald leaves his wife Pauline and three children who can be rightly proud of the part he played in creating a built environment of quality. I shall simply be so sorry that I shall not enjoy his smile again.