EMILE PAULSEN
7 November 1976–28th July 2023; PBHS Class of 1994 (Town House)
It is with extreme sadness that I inform you of the death of Emile Paulsen, who died suddenly after an unexpected and tragic accident in July 2023. Emile attended PBHS from 1990 to 1994, where he distinguished himself as a musician. He was a gifted pianist and cellist who consistently won the Music Prize during his high school career and was a fixture in the school orchestra.
Besides music, a love of architecture had possessed him from an early age, so it was destiny that he pursued this as a career. After matriculating from PBHS, Emile spent a year in the Netherlands and returned to Pretoria to study building science and architecture at the University of Pretoria and Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), graduating from the latter as an architect. He rejoined his alma mater in 2016 as a lecturer in the Department of Architecture and Interior Design at TUT, specialising in professional architectural practice. As a lecturer and mentor, Emile was much loved by his students.
His significant contributions to the field of architecture in South Africa included authoring several practice guidelines for the South African Institute of Architects where he served as Interim Executive in Practice, Continuing Professional Development and Education. For his many endeavours at regional and national level, the Pretoria Institute of Architecture conferred on him the 2023 President’s Award posthumously.
Emile continued his musical studies in tandem with his architectural career, which included a Licenciate in piano performance through the University of South Africa (UNISA).
His death is an enormous loss to everyone who knew him, whether personally or professionally. His kind and gentle nature left a deep impression on all of us. His close friends and fellow Old Boys will always treasure his offbeat and deadpan sense of humour, which could leave one breathless with laughter in a matter of seconds. In his memory, the cohort of Old Boys attending the 2023 Cape Town dinner reminisced and raised a glass to him, remembering his talents as a musician and genteel personality. To his best friends, myself included, Emile was a de facto brother, and we are shattered by his passing.
The funeral service took place on Saturday, August 5th 2023 at the Brooklyn Methodist Church, with several Old Boys attending.
Emile is survived by his partner Alain, his sister Inge (who worked for the PHSOB Association from 2014 to 2021), his mother Ronel, and his nephew Alex, who matriculated from PBHS in 2019.
Adalbert Ernst (Class of 1994)
