Obituary: Gavin “Chippy” Beckwith (PBHS Old Boy, Class of 1972)
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Gavin Beckwith, who died with his family by his side on the 4th June earlier this year after developing a severe response to autoimmune pancreatitis which led to multi-organ failure.
Gavin was a true Pretorian. He was born in Pretoria, on the 23rd May 1955 and loved and contributed to his Pretoria community for the rest of his life.
In his youth, Gavin had a small face and large front teeth. These features, resembling that of a chipmunk’s, meant he was aptly given the nickname of “Chippy” by his young classmates – a nickname that was to stick.
Chippy’s life was filled with sport from an early age, and he later wrote with passion about the enduring learnings that came from engaging in team-sports. For many years as a child, his grandfather would take him to watch the rugby at Loftus Versveld. Standing in the same place every Saturday, behind the southern try-line, they would watch every build-up game from 13:30, until the final game ended at 20:00.
Growing up, his siblings tell of him spending hours lying next to the radio listening to Test cricket, keeping his own score ball-by-ball with pencil and paper in hand. Gavin grew up in the suburb of Waterkloof and attended Waterkloof Primary School. This meant he had countless opportunities to play sport as well, and he loved participating in formal and informal soccer, cricket, squash, golf and rugby games. He fondly remembered frequently jumping the fence at Pretoria Country Club with his friend Willy Bucke to sneak in a few holes.
Gavin started at Pretoria Boys High School in Sunnyside House in 1968 and loved every aspect of school life. At school he made lasting friendships and memories, and as a result PBHS always held a special place in his heart. He would go on to make significant contributions to the institution later in life: serving as the Governing Body Chairman while his children were at the school, as a member of the Pretorian Trust, and as a member and advisor to the Old Boys Association. His latest involvement saw him organise his 50-year-on celebration in 2022, an event which he cherished. Gavin truly believed in the power of education, and he was proud of the value he was able to add to the Boys High community. It is safe to say that the Beckwith family roots are and will always be deeply entwined with that of the school’s: Gavin’s father Gerald attended PBHS in 1932, and presently the school is hosting the 4th generation of the Beckwith family.
After school, Gavin went to Potchefstroom to do his army service year at the Defence headquarters as a payroll officer. He went on to pursue a career in accounting and qualified as a CA(SA) in 1981. In 1998, he was admitted as a Tax Partner at PWC and later led the Pretoria offices’ Tax Practice. After serving at the company for nearly 40 years, across multiple teams and clients, Gavin retired from his role at the age of 60. He continued to work as an independent tax consultant until the time of his passing. Gavin was respected professionally not only for his technical understanding of accounting and tax legislation, but also for his innate ability to build long-standing relationships with his clients. He found a passion in getting to know and understanding the people behind the corporate tax-structures and trusts. His love for sport, reading, travel, and the bush meant he could virtually relate to anyone and engage on any topic.
Outside of corporate boardrooms, Gavin played multiple additional roles: he was a financial planner for close friends and family; he was a leader in church groups and alumni associations; he was a schoolboy cricket scorer and head coach of Baker’s teams; he was a committee member, an advisor, and a trusted confidante to many. Most importantly he was a loving husband and all-round great father. Gavin met his wife-to-be Margie Salmon in hospital in 1974 while recovering from a motor car accident. They would go on to get married in 1982 and live happily side-by-side for another 40 years, raising three loving children: Joanne (who taught at PBHS in 2012 and 2013), Peter (Class of 2007) and Robbie (Class of 2011).
While Gavin’s passing was sudden, his family are consoled by the fact that his last few months were arguably some of his best: he attended two close family weddings, he spent time in his beloved Kruger Park, enjoyed time with his grandson, and he explored Scandinavia on a 30-day tour with his wife, Margie.
Gavin was a gentleman and will be sorely missed by all of those who knew him.
The Beckwith family would like to offer their sincere gratitude for the countless kind words and acts of support that they received from the PBHS community after Gavin’s passing. With the school’s blessing, Gavin’s memorial was held at the Abernethy Hall on the 9th of June 2023: a fitting and special end to a special man’s life – submitted by his son Peter Beckwith
