In Memory

Don Allaway

Don Allaway



 
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07/18/24 04:07 PM #1    

Stuart Clark

Email to the Class of Stuart Clark dated July 11, 2024

It is with great sadness that I am writing to inform classmates of the passing of Don Allaway from a heart attack on July 8, 2024.

Like Tony Daymond, Don was a stalwart supporter of DHS throughout his lifetime – from his days on the DHS first XV, through his recent work as a trustee of the Class of 1963 Bursary Fund.  Don’s long history of supporting the school in his post-DHS life included his playing rugby for DHSOB after school.  He also represented the school and the Old Boys Trust as an attorney from time to time, and he served for years as a trustee of that trust.  In more recent years Don acted as a trustee of the Class of 1963 Bursary Fund, and among other things he took care of the legalities involved in the administration of that trust.  Indeed, in the last 30 days Don managed the administrative takeover by the DHS Foundation of the administration of the bursary fund, and he negotiated with the Foundation the basis upon which the Trust will continue to administer the bursary fund according the principles established by its own trustees (including that the awarding of the bursary will be announced at an assembly, and the Class of 1963 will be acknowledged as the benefactor).   

In his final years at DHS, Don distinguished himself as a member of the Strangers rock band, with Howard Carpendale, Renault Saunders, Peter Elstob, and Don Robertson.

Outside of DHS, Don also distinguished himself professionally as an attorney and in his other activities. Don soon established his own firm in downtown Durban after his admission as an attorney, and he was later a partner of the firm of Garlicke & Bousfield.  Don later moved to Johannesburg and became a partner, respectively, in the highly respected firms of Bowman Law and ENS Africa.  Outside of the profession, Don served as an officer in the Umvoti Mounted Rifles, attaining the rank of Captain. 

Don, my friend, rest in peace.  You have fought the good fight!

Stuart “Mossie” Clark

lgclarx@aol.com


07/18/24 07:50 PM #2    

Ian Robertson (Class Of 1961)

Don Allaway and I were in different years at DHS, and I can remember talking to him only once, when he struck me as an exceptionally outgoing and helpful person. 

I also remember him as a guitarist in the the rock group the Strangers.  I saw them perform once, at the DHS talent contest in 1961, where they were received with tumultuous applause, cheering, and foot-stomping from the schoolboys in the audience, much to the evident disapproval of some teachers present. 

That was the total of my slender acqaintance with Don at school.

But then  -- more than half a century later, I heard from Don Allaway.  In 2013 I posted to this site an obituary of my brother, Graeme ("Bun") Robertson, who had died many years earlier, in 1996.  Don contacted me to say he had some old photographs from his DHS rugby days that included my brother, and he wanted to share them with my brother's family.  I put him in touch with Graeme's widow and children, and he provided them with photos and personal reminiscences, for which they were deeply grateful.  I was touched by Don's extraordinary thoughtfulness in reaching out in this way, to people he didn't even know, to bring something meaningful to their lives.

Almost a decade later, I heard from Don a second time.  In 2022 I was in hospital in London after having open heart surgery, when to my astonishment I received an email from Don wishing me well.  Don wrote that he had experienced heart surgery himself, and provided me with extensive advice on the recovery process, with a very useful list of dos and don'ts.  He told me that he had quintuple bypass surgery in 2003, when his heart was functioning at just over 25 percent capacity and the surgeon feared he might not survive the operation.  He had lived for almost twenty years since then, and he concluded:  "Having near death experiences makes you appreciate how precious life is, and the things you hold dear to you."

So although in one sense I knew Don hardly at all --- just a single conversation at school more than 60 years ago -- in another sense I feel I knew him very well indeed.  If he reached out with such kindness so far from his own orbit to me and my brother's family, he must have shown the same deeply human concern to countless others in the course of his life.  That is the kind of person he was. 

So Don, farewell:  you were one of our best.

 

 


07/19/24 02:53 AM #3    

Arthur Godbeer

Posted on the '64 website last week......

Very sad news, and a surprise. Although I now remember his heart ops of some years ago. I last saw Don at our mini class of '63 60th last year. We go back many years together, since DPHS, but I was surprised to see that we were never in the same class while we were at DHS, nor in standard six at Prep. It was probably earlier years at Prep, but I don't have any record of that.

Just two anecdotes of my being invited by Don to Roydon Hotel, which was named after Don and his older brother Roy. We had lunch once in the hotel dining room and we both decided to have a Durban curry, I think a first for both of us. But we spent a lot of time rushing to the kitchen to get glasses of water for our burning mouths. I think it was on another occasion that Roy was throwing balls to us with a cricket bat in the garden. I managed to hit my first ball quite well. There, said Roy to Don, that's how to do it. Alas, I couldn't hit another. I also vaguely remember some antiques. A piano and a phonograph pre-vinyl.

Sadly I shall be driving to an already booked mini holiday in the Magaliesberg at the time of Don's Memorial on Thursday. But Rosy, Don and family will be in my thoughts.

07/19/24 07:30 AM #4    

John Gomersall

I first met Don at Durban Prep. in 1958, when  we were in the same class for two years. We got on well together, because we were both quite mischievous in Class!

 We both were  in the Class of '63, Don having been in the Class of '62 the year before (for his 1st XV Team apirations in '63) and certainly not for lack of intellect!

At Varsity Don went the Law route and myself Accountancy (and then C.A.). Coincidentally, in 1964 as a brand-new articled clerk I was on the Garlick & Bousfield law firm in Durban with the audit team from Compton & Horne accountants. However our paths crossed again in Johanneburg after he too moved there, when Garlicke's merged with Bowman Gilfillan in Jbg. who were the lawyers for the Barlow Group (that I joined in 1970).

In 1994 Don drafted new wills for my wife and I, and our family and since we moved to the Isle of Man in 2019 gave me valuable advice on how to plan new wills here and in SA.

The Class of 1963 shall always remember his heady days as a "Rock-star" with The Strangers Rock Band and of course his 1st XV Rugby days.

Rest in Peace Don, you earned it!

John Gomersall and Family.


07/22/24 04:18 PM #5    

Stuart Clark

Email received by Stuart Clark from Renault Saunders on July 22, 2024:

Very sad about Don! Feel especially for Rosy, David, Jane, and the grandchildren. The funeral service brought back many memories. So appreciate how Don and Geoff Bamber taught me how to play the guitar and piano. Still have my guitar and love to play the piano, "Spanish Harlem," "Last Date," "A Taste of Honey," etc. In 1960, the three of us, Geoff, Don & myself formed a band with Howard as singer. That same year we won a talent contest which started at the Big Top on North Beach and ended at the Durban City Hall. Howard says he sang an Elvis Presley song but I'm sure it was a Cliff Richard number. Remember being with Don at Sugar Pope's home late one night while Cliff and Shadows were in Durban--Feb 1961. Cliff sang and I accompanied him as he tapped on the lid of the grand piano in the Pope's home. Don and I often recalled that. So sad to lose such a good husband, father, and friend. Sure, the link below will provide genuine comfort to you all.

https://www.jw.org/finder?srcid=jwlshare&wtlocale=E&lank=docid-501100047_1_VIDEO

Don Geoffrey and me outside den.jpg

:

 


07/31/24 10:48 AM #6    

Brian Christie

MY TRIBUTE TO DON ALLAWAY -- by Brian Christie

Don and I went to DPHS together, starting in Standard Two. He was somewhat unique in that he had a chauffer who drove him to school and back. We were part of the St. Thomas boys choir before our voices broke. He was a good singer, I was not. I went to his parents' hotel after school many times and he was over ot our house a lot.

We stayed good friends during high school. Along with Geoff Bamber, Mike Keggie, Renault Saunders and Alan Harris-Bushell, and a few others, we were all active and involved in Sctipture Union Camps and Beach Missions. Don of couse was part of the Strangers band along with Renault and Geoff (the orignial members). Somewhere along the line Howard Carpendale became the singer. We used to all congregate at Renault's house (actually the garage I think) while they rehearsed, and exta members were added to the band. I am pretty much tone deaf, but they allowed me to play rythm guitar with them a few times at some house parties. I just copied Don to see what chords to play!

I was hooker for the 1st Team in 1963; Don played for the 2nd Team. But since he was born in 1947, he stayed back a year -- so that he could be 1st Team hooker in 1964. And, of course, he had a great career with the DHSOB and with Collegians.

I went to the USA in 1967. Everytime I came back to Durban to see my family Don would come over to visit, or we would go to the Durban Club for lunch. I remember one time having drinks at Don and Rosy's house and then going to Howard Buttery's house in Durban North, I believe, for dinner. A great time together. Don always made an effort to see me when I would come back.

We reconected at our 50th Anniversary. Don and Rosy opened their home in Bryanston to Tina and me as our headquarters for about 2 weeks while we visited my sisters and their families. Then on three other trips Don and Rosy had me stay with them while I was back visiiting my sisters in the Joburg area. Don was such a great host. We went out to eat most nights and played a lot of golf -- mostly with other Old Boys. I got to know his daughter Jane and her husband and family. And many long conversations reminiscing our DHS days, discussing our careers (we were both lawyers), bragging on ouir families, and laughing.

Last time I was back in SA (February of 2023) staying with my widowed sister in Hermanus, she and I drove to Plettenburg Bay to spend three days with Don and Rosy. Great fun. More golf and dinners and great restaurants. And Rosy was such a great hostess for my sister.

I  set up a 501c3 corporation (charitible company) here in the USA named Impact DHS, so that American Old Boys could make tax-deductible donations to the DHS Foundation, and especially to the 1963 Bursary Fund. Don and Tony Daymond were the South African representatives managing the Fund. Mossie Clark, Malcolm Hilcove and I were the USA Board members. Anyway, that put me in further contact with Don. He and Tony did an great job, selflessly giving their time to the Bursary Fund. 

Mossie Clark continually reminds us to keep contributiing to the 1963 Bursary Fund hoping to reach our goal of 1 Million Rand. Several of us donated $1,000 (about R1,500) to the Bursary Fund in honor of Tony. I am proposing that we do the same for Don. Those of you who remember Don fondly, this would be a great way to honor him. Please consider joining us in honoring Don in this way.

On a sad personal note, I am coming to SA in February and was planning to stay with Don and Rosy. I will really miss seeing Don -- his friendship of almost 70 years, his hospitality, our conversations, playing golf together, and getting to know Rosy.

Honoring a good friend,

Brian Christie

P.S. This format does not seem to have a "spell-check" (at least I couldn't find one!), so I apolgize for any spelling errors.

 

 


08/01/24 12:45 PM #7    

William Dunn

Correction to Brian's comment. USD 1,000 is currently equivalent to ZAR 18,221 not ZAR 1,500 


08/02/24 08:34 AM #8    

Brian Christie

Brian Christie

William, you are right. I put the comma in the wrong place. Old age!! I meant R15,000 (I still work off the old rough rule of thumb of X15). But it seems like the currency rate right now makes a US gift go even further. Good news for the Bursary Fund.

Thanks for the correction.

Brian


08/04/24 03:04 AM #9    

William Dunn

Sorry if I came across as the pedantic bean counting Banker. Somehow you don't get it out your system 🙄


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