Well-loved, admired and long-standing British expatriate Robert John Grafham has died in Bahrain following a brief illness at the age of 71, writes Stanley Szecowka.
Motorsport enthusiast, entrepreneurial businessman, poet and horticulturist, Mr Grafham, who lived at Amwaj Islands, unexpectedly passed away on March 12 at Salmaniya Medical Complex.
“Robert was a decent, kind and caring soul,” said teacher Sarah-Jane McEntee. “In the 30 years that I knew him, he never said a bad word against anyone, not even a ‘cus word’ left his lips in public. He was a very special human being. We will miss him terribly.”
Mr Grafham’s home town was Cobham in the English county of Surrey and an obituary compiled by his friends Alan Giddins and Fouad El Khazen has been released to the GDN.
He undertook an apprenticeship at Hawker Siddeley Aviation and qualified as an electrical engineer in 1970, where he met his ‘life-long friend and brother’ Alan.
Mr Grafham later joined Alan working at a Porsche automotive specialist working principally in motorsport based in Berkshire, England.
This led to a position in the mid-1970s with a German racing team – Willy Kausen Racing – to run one of three Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 (33 TT/12) cars for the Alfa Romeo works racing team.
The team won the World Motor Sports Championship in 1975 and the race ace continued for the next two years with Willy Kausen Racing working on Formula 2 cars, starting the first year with March F2 cars and later spending six months in Paris with the Renault Sport F2 following a take-over of the team. Other duties included participation in the development of an F1 project.
“In July 1977, he was invited to Bahrain by Alan and together they brought Porsche to Bahrain with the formation of Performance Cars Bahrain together with art connoisseur Shaikh Rashid Al Khalifa,” the obituary notes.
“Robert arrived in Bahrain driving a Porsche all the way overland from the UK. His part ownership of Porsche Cars Bahrain continued till it was sold in the late 1980s.”
He became a consultant to a number of business leaders, government officials and members of royal families across the region.
In addition, he also later headed the establishment of Porsche Design in the Middle East and was heavily involved in bringing American car rental giant Hertz to the Middle East.
He also consulted for a leading Ukrainian drilling rig manufacturer, was requested to take a position on its board and to assist in the sale of the company to a US investment company.
Mr Grafham also established a Middle East design office for a large Italian steel fabricator and engineering company taking up an equity position and acting as its MD.
“Robert worked with and consulted for a number of leading global companies, and was regularly asked to assist and consult on subjects of interest,” the obit added.
“He was still acting as an adviser on a case-by-case basis to business leaders and members of royal families in the region.
“He has advised on a number of major international companies on project opportunities in various sectors such as project development, construction, energy, oil and gas, automotive, transport and aluminium industries.
“Recently, he completed the preliminary designs and the business plan for a university project involving Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, which was delayed by recent global events.”
The University of Portsmouth will operate the university and it will specialise in engineering, science and technology, it was revealed. The obituary added: “It is planned that the university would start with around 800 students increasing to 4,000 over a three-phased construction period, and will include accommodation for all students, operational and academic personal.”
His life-long friend Mr Giddins had been working with him on raising the finance for this project and it was due to start this year. He may continue the project ‘as a fitting memory to Robert’, the GDN has been told.
“Robert was the last of his family line and is survived by his partner, Irina, and his extended family of friends who will always remember Robert as an exceptional person and a true gentlemen,” the obituary concluded.
Funeral and burial arrangements in Manama are in the planning stages and will be finalised when his Russian partner arrives shortly in Bahrain.
Mr Grafham was also renowned for his ‘green fingers’ having cross-bred a flower called the Fleur de Grafham. His literary talent was admired too. He penned a festive poem which included the words:
‘With presents abounding, surrounding the tree, lights are reflecting, bouncing to be free.
‘With rooms full of joy, merriment and goodwill overflow,
fewer times can satisfy, the way family times can show.
‘So I wish you good cheer,
throughout the coming year!’
He was also a huge fan of the late clarinetist and vocalist Acker Bilk and one of his favourite songs was Stranger on the Shore. Mr Grafham’s eventful life ensured he was never a stranger on the shores of Bahrain.
managingeditor@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))