In Memory

Tony Daymond



 
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07/18/24 03:57 PM #1    

Stuart Clark

Email to the Class of Stuart Clark of May 14, 2024

It is with great sadness that I am writing to inform classmates of the passing of Tony Daymond on May 10, 2024.

Tony was a stalwart supporter of DHS throughout his lifetime – from the engine room of the scrum in his days as a lock on the first XV, through his recent work in the establishment and administration of the Class of 1963 Bursary Fund.  In between Tony played rugby for the DHSOB team, and actively involved himself in the activities of the old DHSOB Club in Durban North – editing the club Bulletin for many years.  He was also a successful businessman, working in his early career in the Roy Meaker group – which coincidentally bought the builder’s merchants store in Dundee that my father was a shareholder and director of, and that Tony became the CEO of after the purchase!

I was not close to Tony in my years at DHS, or even initially thereafter given my residence in California.  So someone better qualified than I will have to write his obituary.  But I was fortunate to get to know Tony well after he and I both served on the committee that arranged the Class of 1963 50th anniversary reunion.  After that successful reunion, Tony suggested that the class should create a bursary fund capable of sponsoring a deserving boy to attend DHS as a boarder in perpetuity.   The expectation was that a principal in the R600,000 range would be sufficient to fund the bursary.

Sadly, with diminished returns on investment, increasing school fees, and inflation generally, the fund only achieved its initial objective in recent years – by which time the principal requirements were greater (even though the fund is now approaching R800,000).  As a result, absent a miracle the fund will continue to only be able to offer a partial bursary each year.  

In the absence any classmate willing and able to replace Tony as a trustee of the bursary fund, the remining trustees – Don Allaway and me – have decided to implement succession arrangements previously concluded for this eventuality.  These arrangements are for the DHS Foundation to take over the administration of the bursary fund.  The Foundation has agreed to continue to apply the principles applied by us initial trustees – including that no more than 75% of income be distributed each year, thereby allowing the principal to continue to grow, and ensuring the indefinite existence of the Class of 1963 Bursary Fund.

The Class of 1963 Bursary Fund is Tony’s final legacy to his beloved DHS.   The fund has enabled three talented young men to attend DHS who would probably not have otherwise have been able to attend the school. 

Don and I will continue a close association with the Foundation while we are able, and will also continue to solicit donations to the fund in hopes of creating a principal of at least R1 million.  So if you can possibly make a contribution to the bursary fund – or another contribution, if you have contributed already – please do so.  Do it for Tony!  

Kind regards,

Stuart “Mossie” Clark


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