IN MEMORIAM
Peter Doyle, A fondly remembered Solomonite – by Leon Kok
It’s with sadness that we learned of the passing of Peter Doyle of the Class of 1962 and Head Prefect of Solomon House in his final year.
We received this note from his daughter, Fran Walters:
Born in May 1945, the middle child of five (an older brother and sister, and two younger brothers), Peter grew up on the Springbok Flats where he attended a local primary school. Following his years at Boys High, he went on to Natal University (Durban), graduating with a BA, but realising before completing his degree that academia was not his passion nor where he wanted to be.
He worked for Nestle for 10 years, and it was there that he met his gorgeous bride to be, Patricia (Trish) Shaw, and they were married in 1971. They were blessed with one daughter, myself (Frances) in 1974.
Peter moved to Van Zijl and Schultze in advertising and went on to TW Beckett. He moved to Natal in 1981 to join Trish and his brother-in-law’s family farm in the Karkloof, and then moved to Cape Town in 1987 to join his eldest brother building yachts. He subsequently started his own business, making fibreglass products and ended up working for NCS Resins, one of his suppliers, in Cape Town.
He and Trish lived in a beautiful rustic spot along the road to Cape Point where the neighbours were baboons and tortoises and there was no electricity. In 2002 he and Trish moved back to Natal to be closer to their daughter. NCS Resins, anxious not to lose his abilities and knowledge, created a position for him in the Pinetown Office, and from there he travelled to many interesting places he would otherwise have never seen in Africa, Dubai, Bahrain and the States.
In April 2012 he joined Wedgewood Nougat, with his daughter and son-in-law, and it was wonderful to be closer to his two gorgeous granddaughters. He started as the cattle man, looking after over 100 head of cattle, returning to his farming roots. He was then asked to leave the cows in the fields and was ‘dragged’ into the factory to look after the ever-growing stores department. From there he moved across to help with the setting up and running of the new macadamia nut cracking facility that Wedgewood started.
He was a valued and loved member of staff – known fondly as “Peaches” by the girls in the office. His marketing knowledge was often sort out by the youngsters in the marketing division, even after his retirement. In 2017 he was invited to sail the seas from Durban to Madagascar with two other sailors on a yacht called Someday Forever, living a bucket list dream and exploring the ocean.
When he returned he bought himself a little yacht called “Fancy Free” which he kept and sailed happily on Midmar Dam – not quite the ocean, but close to home. He was retired at the age of 75 due to Covid. Peter was a quiet and unassuming gentleman to the core, humble with a huge heart. His infectious Doyle laugh so easy to recognise and heard often, and with a brilliant practical mind like an encyclopaedia, he was often caught pondering whatever problems needed solving. He is greatly missed by his wife, daughter and granddaughters, and all who knew him.
These sentiments were largely echoed by PBHS Head Prefect in 1962, Tom Brown, and Peter’s close school friends, John Purchase and John Murray.
Said John Purchase: “So proud of PBHS, Peter loved it and talked about it often. It was wonderful that he was able to attend his Class Reunion on 13th May to see and say goodbye to his friends.
“A bit of a loner and private person, there are not many anecdotal stories about him. But one extraordinary one that stuck out was of him visiting Girl’s High in a white coat and black rimmed specs and pretended that he was sent by ‘The Department’ to measure windows in one of the classrooms in which his girlfriend sat. ‘He fooled the teacher in spite of much giggling and nudging going on”.
And this anecdote recounted by John Murray: “One evening, after a bunch of us had just come out of the bioscope in Pretoria and were milling around on the pavement, Peter did something that impressed me. It was drizzling a bit, and we were debating where to go next. Peter, who wasn’t really listening, turned, stepped out into the road and stuck out his thumb. “Hey,” I said, ‘Where you going?’ ‘Pietermaritzburg,’ he said. A car stopped. Pete got in and the car drove off. That impressed me. Ten at night, rain coming, no coat, no bag, no nothing, off to see his girlfriend in Maritzburg. I am sure there are many tales about Peter where a girlfriend might feature”.
“Over the years, my path crossed with Pete Doyle’ s here and there, now and again”, John added. “We kept in touch. And it felt good. We all have so many tales we could tell, so many unseen, unsung experiences, in each our own extraordinary trip from conception to extinction. I remember Peter presence in my life with great fondness. He was a mensch, and we could do with more such brothers”.
This poem, read by Peter’s cousin’s wife, at his funeral:
What is a hero?
He is a man of noble character, a man much admired?
Peter was such a man, yet he would never agree.
He was humble, unassuming and would laugh at you.
If you ever voiced such a description or tried, you’d see.
He rarely stood still for a photo. All his are usually blurred.
I’m joking, but he’d avoid the camera as best he could.
So keep any photographs where blurring hasn’t occurred,
And treasure sweet memories of a dear man so good.
He was always welcoming, genuinely pleased to see you.
He would give you a big hug and ask you how you were.
He’d listen attentively, sincerely interested in family too.
We enjoyed his quirky sense of humour that we well knew!
I will always think of Peter as an example of a hero.
He was upright, honest, and loving.
He’d hide his pain. His complaints you can count as zero.
He stands out as one whose footsteps we should follow.
Rest in peace, dear Peter, until we meet again – Kay Hicks
LEON KOK
