Farewell to a ‘true gentleman’

Family, friends and community members gathered at Church Street Methodist church in Somerset West on Saturday (23 August) to celebrate the life of well-known resident David “Boetie” Gordon.

The beloved local and devoted family man died peacefully at home on Saturday 16 August after a long battle with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. He would have turned 85 on 2 September.

“It has obviously been heartbreaking, but at the age of 84 he had had a good innings,” shared Marcelle, the eldest of Gordon’s three daughters. “The journey with dementia had been a difficult one the last few years and we are relieved he is finally at peace.”

She described her father as vibrant, loving and compassionate, embodying the values he strongly held, such as seeing equality and dignity as basic human rights. “He encouraged all of us to follow our passions because he believed they were key to happiness. He taught us all people deserve to be treated with respect no matter their ‘station in life’. As father of three daughters he encouraged us to lead and be independent. He encouraged us to read and have a healthy interest in the arts, sports and politics.

“We’ve received so many messages from across the world following the news of his passing and so many from across the Helderberg and Cape Town have visited the family home to sympathise with my mother, and they’ve all described my dad as a true gentleman who always treated everybody with respect.”

Gordon was born and bred in Somerset West. He was born on 2 September 1940 to Kathleen and Wintelbach Gordon, the fourth of five children. He grew up on the family farm located on what would later be named Gordon Road, named after his family.

Entrepreneurial spirit

Gordon’s early education took place at the Wesleyan Methodist school, now Somerset West Methodist Primary School. He later attended what was then called “Gordon Hall” for high school, an institution that would eventually become Gordon High School. However, the family’s deep roots in the area were disrupted when the apartheid Group Areas Act forced them to sell their beloved family farm. Despite this setback, Gordon’s connection to the area remained unbroken. After completing his education Gordon became a civil engineer, initially working for Clifford Harris before moving to Peninsula Asphalt. His entrepreneurial spirit eventually led him to establish his own business, Gordon Siteworks, which he successfully ran with the help of his teacher wife, Rae. The couple married in 1971 and rented a home on his family’s ancestral street, Gordon Road, where they raised their family. At age 50, as South Africa’s democratic transition began, Gordon was finally able to purchase the property he had rented. This achievement held special significance for him, representing both personal success and a reconnection to his family’s historical ties to the area.

“My father was truly a people’s person, and those in the construction industry knew him as a man who treated workers with decency and respect,” Marcelle noted.

Sports champion

Gordon was very involved in rugby administration through his family’s beloved club, Hotspurs, and was recently honoured for his contribution through the sport.

He was one of many rugby legends honoured, as former players, management and coaches at a rugby-heritage event at the Dr GJ Joubert Primary hall, Strand earlier this year (“Rugbylegendes vereer”, DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette, 12 February). Acknowledging Gordon’s lasting impact on local rugby, Isadore Damons, who served with him on the Somerset Rugby Board, mentioned his service as vice-president before transitioning to coach, making bold strategic decisions elevating the team’s performance.

His repositioning of players Irvin October and Gabriel Noble led to their South African Rugby Union team selection, while his fair coaching and genuine faith in players created a winning culture.

Gordon became the first Somerset Rugby Board coach to lead the team to a SA Cup competition semi-final. With strong attention to detail and a tendency towards calculated risks, his impact on the sport is lasting.

Historian Ebrahim Rhoda, in tribute, related how Gordon had introduced him to the Cape Slave Heritage Project, and he became a researcher at the Western Cape Archives.

• Gordon is survived by wife Rae, daughter Marcelle and partner Liam, daughters Cathryn and Davina and son-in-law Donovan, and three granddaughters Mila, Sophia and Scarlett. He also leaves two surviving sisters, Sadie Fredericks and Jackie Wentzel.