Eric Gates

Eric Gates

It is our sad duty to report the passing of valve industry stalwart, Eric Gates.  He passed away peacefully aged 82 on 26th December 2021 in Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, after a long battle with liver and lung cancer. 

Eric was very well known in the valve industry and particularly in the West Yorkshire area, where he was a regular participant in the informal gatherings of the ‘Huddersfield Valve Club’. 

Born in 1939, in Preston, like many of his contemporaries, Eric left school aged 14 - we understand - without much in the way of formal qualifications, but his potential was soon spotted, and he became an apprentice to the Gas Board.  He later moved to English Electric, Leicester, chiefly we gather because the Gas Board expected him to travel by bike, rather than have use of a company van! 

In the early 1960s, he moved closer to home to Lucas Aerospace, Burnley, where he met his future wife Jenny, and where they studied together at night school, both obtaining their HNCs.  

In February 1976, Eric joined Introl Valves, Halifax (which later became ABB Kent Introl (now Brighouse-based KKI), often spending a great deal of time overseas. When travelling to the Introl factory in India Eric’s advice was to pack in your suitcase bottled water and Mars bars, he was not a lover of curry. On leaving Introl 20 years later, Eric set up his own consultancy business, E Gates Services, working with several local companies such as Severn, Alco etc., until relatively recently. 

His time at Severn was not the first time he had been to Gloucestershire as during his time with Kent Introl he helped set up a flow test rig on the Stroud site and this was later used by Severn for flow testing control valves. Eric’s role at Severn was varied including consultancy work developing and upgrading  the company computer valve sizing and selection program, Low noise valve trim design, Noise testing, Fugitive Emission valve sealing, Fire test rig at the Brighouse site and approvals for PED,  ATEX and SIL certification.  

A chartered engineer and a member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers Eric was an active member of the BVAA, sitting on the Association’s Technical Committees and a keen participant in the discussions that led to the BVAA’s seminal work on interpreting the Pressure Equipment Directive.  Another area of interest for Eric was the development of the BVAA’s Control Valve course, which – with others - he went on to deliver for the Association for several years. 

He was one of a kind - I'm not sure anyone in the valve community will really appreciate how much he contributed to the industry. He had a wealth of engineering knowledge which he was willing to share with others. 

Published: 26th January 2022