Obituary

With deep sadness, we announce the passing of our friend and colleague Fahim Ahmed.

Fahim joined Elkington + Fife in 2008 and took over as Records Manager in 2009. With his friendly face, easy manner, and sharp sense of humour, from the start it was hard not to like him. He became known for an infectious chuckle and equally infectious enthusiasm that brought the firm closer together. He was somebody who might say anything, and to whom you could say anything back!

Having grown up in northwest London before studying economics at university, Fahim was streetwise and practical as well as bright. His north London roots gave him a love of Watford, Arsenal, and Saracens (where he was a season-ticket holder). Having family in the south of France connected him to another winning rugby team, in Toulon.

He played amateur rugby himself as a fly-half, until he was forced to quit following a head injury. While he never managed to convince his work colleagues at E+F to join him on the rugby field, he did cajole many of them into various runs, adventure races, bike rides, and a triathlon. His small frame disguised serious athleticism and stamina – he ran several marathons and ultra-marathons. Indeed, there was a time when he would go for a marathon-distance training-run in the morning before clocking on for a full day at the office.

Fahim brought the same endless energy to his professional life. His range of talents was reflected in the diversity of his career, which sandwiched an entrepreneurial stint running his own decorating business between two longer periods in patent and trade mark formalities. Working in Records certainly suited his methodical style and extraordinary memory for detail – traits which were also put to good use setting questions for the Christmas party table quiz at E+F (something that he instituted and made an annual highlight).

As a manager, Fahim was loyal to a fault and took great pride in his team. Despite working at 100mph he invariably had time to chat and share a joke…preferably at the expense of Tottenham Hotspur.

He was active both professionally and socially in the Inprotech European User Group (IEUG). While at E+F, he successfully managed a number of significant upgrades and extensions to the firm’s records-software and he had laid the groundwork for a new document management system when he fell ill in the summer of 2016.

He was perhaps most memorable for his generosity – not only giving freely of his time, energy, and money for charitable causes (such as the Saracens Sport Foundation, for which he ran the London Marathon in 2012 – finishing despite a dislocated shoulder), but also on a personal level always being ready to help out or do a favour, while rarely asking anything of others.

These and other qualities made him many enduring friendships. While some might find it unusual (and most would find it difficult) to remain friends with their ex-wife after divorce, it was somehow natural for Fahim to succeed in doing so.

Fahim passed away at his home in Tonbridge on 14 December 2016, aged 35, after a short battle with cancer. He will be missed immensely but his memory will continue to inspire those who knew him, just as he inspired us during his life.

He is survived by parents and relatives, to whom we extend our sincere condolences, by his many friends within the profession and beyond, and by his two cats, on whom he doted.