Consultant Roy Fewkes, a recognized driveline lubricant and lubrication expert with over 40 years of industry experience, died May 11 at age 69.
Born in Derby, United Kingdom, he obtained an M.B.A. from Loughborough University. Fewkes’ involvement in the automotive industry began when he developed and built motor racing engines during the 1970s. Those motor racing activities later resulted in his appointment by the Royal Automobile Club Motor Sports Association as a senior motor racing official responsible for safety and technical compliance.
Fewkes’ industry background also saw him managing business units at General Motors and Lubrizol. At GM, he conceived and implemented the company’s Dexron licensing and approvals program for automatic transmission fluids, eventually turning the Dexron trademark into a brand covering other products that he was instrumental in developing, including gear oils, dual clutch transmission fluids and hydraulic fluids.
After his retirement from GM, he became a consultant to original equipment manufacturers and oil and additive companies. Fewkes also authored and co-authored a number of published articles and technical papers related to lubricants, lubricant development, lubricant testing, and other lubricant related issues, and his name is on a number of patents regarding transmission fluids and tests.
He is survived by his wife, Emma, and two children, William and Sarah .