Post: Tribute to Angela Mallion MRICS

The AECB have kindly allowed me to write a tribute to my wife Angela, co-director of Conker Conservation, who sadly passed away in August after a short fight with cancer. Angela and I met on a part time surveying degree at South Bank Poly in 1989. We were both interested in the environment, wildlife and the natural world, so when we discovered CAT in Wales were inspired to set up our own business to specialise in creating sustainable buildings. We joined the AECB soon after.

Angela wanted to be a carpenter after leaving school but found getting an apprenticeship very difficult, so she switched to a surveying training scheme. She later joined a housing association in Camden as a maintenance surveyor, then a large multi-disciplinary firm in Lewisham as a project manager. It was clear that these organisations had no interest in energy efficiency or sustainable materials, they just played lip-service. Therefore we established Conker in 1999 to do things our way.

Angela’s particular focus in the early days was avoiding toxic chemicals, for example timber treatments in 1990’s were still covered by the official secrets act preventing full disclosure of their contents- having evolved during in the first world war to kill soldiers. Many of the ingredients were carcinogenic, but the industry was happy to promote them. We developed our own specification of sustainable healthy materials for our projects.

Family was always Angela’s priority, she never did social media or wanted any publicity. Whilst she never attended the AECB conferences, she was instrumental in helping me run the Kent local group.

Angela was a role model for the surveying profession, she was diligent, clear and decisive, always up to date with current ethics and regulations. She helped us train numerous students in the last 25 years who would be inspired by her professionalism and care.

I really enjoyed surveying buildings with Angela, we had different skills and made a good team. Our running joke was that I would draw the pictures and Angela would write the words.

Angela would be proud of our children and how they have coped in recent months, they have inherited her finest qualities. She is now at peace, and able to meet her idol, Elvis Presley, who was played at her funeral- she will always be on my mind.

Thank you AECB for this indulgence and for your donation to the Pilgrims Hospice in Canterbury who cared so well for Angela.

Paul