I’m sure you will remember Ricky Buwalda who as a year or two ahead of us at PBHS. He was a close tennis companion of Sonja playing in many Provincial Vets Tournaments. We received the sad news this morning that he had passed away. He suffered from motor neuron disease. He could not wish Sonja a happy birthday some three months ago as he could no longer speak so sent a simple message via text!
Just three years ago Ricky was in the KZN team that won gold in the 70’s age group at the National Super Seniors Inter Provincial Tennis event at Hartenbos near Mossel Bay.
If I hear more detail I will let you know.
Regards and all the best
Delwin Eggers
Tennis SA pays tribute to Ricky Buwalda
http://www.tennissa.co.za/w/blog/tennis-sa-pays-tribute-to-ricky-buwalda
RICKY BUWALDA, DEPUTY HEAD PREFECT 1963
It’s with great sadness that we learned of the passing on September 16 of Ricky Buwalda, Deputy Head Prefect of the School 57 years ago.
Earlier this year he had been diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease (MND), having battled with this pernicious health disease on a daily basis. There is apparently no known cause, no cure and no treatment. Most distressing for him in his last months were an inability to speak and he suffered from lame hands, fatigue, and loss of weight and strength. Also, extremely taxing, he was unable to converse with most, though happily, his wonderful wife, Danny, stepped in brilliantly to assist.
Inordinate moral, spiritual and emotional support were provided by Ricky’s family and several matric pals, most notably John Duff, Andre Joubert, Louis von Broembsen and Derek Winstanly.
Born in Pretoria in July 1946, Richard Alan Buwalda was charming, popular and a constant friend and companion to many. Tributes below point to him having enjoyed a wonderful rapport with his family and all who knew him. He was rated a marvelous sportsman and leader, and a delight in any company.
It was said even in the early 1960s that among Pretoria Girls High mothers he was considered the most sought after prospective son-in-law in town.
Ricky first entered the world of fame when apparently as a 12-year old Arcadia Primary School cricketer, he hit a half-century in a two-and-a-half-hour inter-school match. It included several sixes from the school’s carpeted pitch into Pretorius Street, close to the present-day US Embassy. This, at the time, was unprecedented.
However, as he developed, he became a team player par excellence, was always positive, and was also able to lose gracefully. He respected his team-mates and opponents as equals, was always honest in dealing with them, and treated them the way he expected to be treated.
Many-heart-searching questions arise regarding Ricky’s recent pain and suffering, and they haven’t been answered. Some day they will be; some day we shall know why. But what we do know is that the fellowship we had with him will remain unbroken. May God give us vision, grace and strength to remember him as the remarkable pupil, teacher and Old Boy that he was. Indeed, a remarkable man.
LEON KOK
Profile from Ricky’s son, Duncan
Ricky was born in Pretoria to Beth and Dirk Buwalda. Beth (nee Rodda) was a nurse who had come to SA from Bristol aged four. Dirk was a motor mechanic who battled with alcoholism and was a less-than-ideal father. They were later divorced, and Beth had to raise Ricky, and brother David, in sometimes difficult circumstances in working-class Pretoria.
Rick started playing tennis from a young age and it became one of his life’s great passions. He attended PBHS, captained the Tennis and Cricket First Teams, and matriculated, as Deputy Head Prefect, in 1963. After his stint of national service, he began his studies in Psychology and Education at Rhodes University in Grahamstown (now Makhanda). In his final year, 1969, he was Head Student of Jan Smuts Hall, before being awarded the prestigious Abe Bailey Scholarship to the UK.
Back in SA in 1970, he returned to his alma mater, PBHS, and became a teacher of English and History for the next five years. He formed friendships with learners at the School that endured for many years afterwards.
During his Rhodes days, Rick met and went out with Danny (Diana) Butlin. They parted ways after finishing their studies, but fate intervened. Danny had just had a divorce and moved back in with her parents in Hilton, with her infant daughter, Julie. Rick and Dan rekindled what had been, and were married in 1976. Sarah was born in 1977, and it became clear from around age two that she was mildly brain damaged. Duncan was born in 1982.
While teaching at Boys High, Rick played both provincial and international tennis, including participating at Wimbledon in 1973. He played and coached professionally, albeit sporadically, in his later years. In 1988 he was appointed National Coach for the SA Tennis Development Trust, a non-racial entity tasked with growing tennis in the country’s townships. He later captained the National Seniors Tennis Team.
After five years at Boys High, Rick took a lecturing post at the Johannesburg College of Education (JCE) and in 1982 was appointed Dean of Students at JCE’s Knockando residence, and the Buwalda family moved into Knockando, which lay in the shadow of Northwards Castle, a former Randlord’s Mansion in Parktown.
Rick completed his D Ed Thesis in 1990, on the subject of “Stress in Education”, and became Doctor Ricky Buwalda. After lecturing on education pedagogy for 14 years at JCE (also briefly at RAU), Rick moved to the corporate sector and became Standard Bank’s manager of educational resources. He was later promoted to national co-ordinator of the bank’s financial literacy programme, which drafted, printed and distributed educational resources for Grade Eights in 15000 South African schools. He would remain with the bank, working at their offices in Marshall Street, downtown Johannesburg, until his retirement in 2005.
With Julie and Duncan long having “left the nest”, Rick, Dan and Sarah moved to Hilton after Rick’s retirement. They moved into an estate opposite from Dan’s parents’ house: where Dan was living when Rick reconnected with her. In his later years, Rick returned to his teaching roots, and commenced with private tutoring of pupils from prominent KZN schools in the vicinity. He continued to play tennis regularly into his seventies.
Following his unfortunate diagnosis Rick was supported all the way by Dan, Sarah, Julie and Duncan until he finally succumbed to the disease on 16 September, aged 74.
Rick would have wanted to be remembered as a good friend, loving father, committed Christian, semi-decent tennis player, and gentle soul. In the tennis fraternity alone, his friends and acquaintances number probably in the hundreds.
He is survived by Danny, his wife of 44 years; Julie, married with two daughters, Dayne (20) and Madison (17), and living in the United Arab Emirates; Sarah, a wonderful, warm-hearted daughter and companion; and Duncan, married, living in Cape Town, and expecting twins next year.
Tribute from Louis von Broembsen formerly of Rissik House, fellow School prefect and sportsman, and lifelong friend. Ricky and Louis both attended Arcadia Primary School where Louis’ father, Stanley, was the Principal. He also taught at PBHS from 1948 to 1950.
Ricky and I met and became close friends at Arcadia Primary School in 1956. We went to PBHS in the same academic years (1959-63) and participated in some of the same sports teams. He was a natural leader and rose to several of the school’s highest-ranking and most eminent scholarly positions.
We then went our different ways, saw each other occasionally at Old Boys’ functions, and reconnected 55 years later in April 2018 through a mutual friend, Nigel McDonald.
We started exchanging messages on a regular basis in March this year, soon after Ricky’s diagnosis. After this we sent each other countless emails and Whatsapps, recording our passages through life, our work experiences, our philosophies and our families.
During this time we bonded amazingly, digging deep to find out more about ourselves and each other. It was always a race against time. We waited for each other’s messages and regaled at what we gave each other. We became soulmates.
Through all this I came to know so much about the wonderful person Ricky was.
His passing had reminded us of the strange workings of life. Our lives are not shortened or extended by our service for the greater good, our moral behavior or our compassion for others. Nature makes no such distinctions. However, this maxim makes it no easier to fathom why a talented person like Ricky, with his hard-working ethic, natural leadership qualities, selflessness, geniality and humility should have been taken away so early. If anyone deserved a long stress-free retirement, Ricky did.
Over the past months I have come to know the closeness of his family and I feel so sympathetic towards them for all they have had to endure. Ricky often remarked in his messages how much he appreciated their love and attention as he weakened. He never wanted to become a liability to anyone
My love goes out to you Danny and your wonderful Sarah, Julie and Duncan. It’s indeed inspiring that you can forever look back on your husband and Dad with such limitless affection.
Tribute from Tubby (Andre) Joubert, formerly of Solomon House and one of Ricky’s closest lifelong friends.
Rick’s final match lasted approximately six months and in his stoic un-complaining manner, he played a terrific game until his Lord called game, set and match early on the morning of his passing. What a match it was, constantly supported and nursed by Danny, their lovely daughter Sarah, son Duncan and step-daughter Julie and family in Dubai. Evidence of Rick’s courage was an e-mail that he shared with his nearest and dearest in early May detailing what MND is about and what awaited him. The words contained in the covering note said it all, happy and cheerful, not the words of one terminally ill, but rather those of a deeply religious man in contact with his LORD and saviour and confident of the future.
Our friendship started in January, 1959 on our first day at Boy’s High, Grade 8 (Form 1A). Despite my being a boarder in Solomon House and he a day boy our friendship progressed and we became firm friends. We had many great contests on the sports field with Rick always being the victor. What a sportsman, what a giant of a player, the only person you never regretted losing to. During the game he was always at his competitive best but at the end he always gave that huge Buwalda smile and words of comfort for the looser. Over our years at school, after Form 1 we were always allocated to different classes but our friendship endured. In the early 1960’s Rick was able to join the boarder fraternity, spending the final two years of school in School House. In 1963 he was appointed Head Prefect of the House and Vice Head Prefect of the school.
After successfully completing our matric in December 1963, our paths parted as we undertook our National Service in different sections of the Defence Force. After this, the separation caused a seven year hiatus in our friendship. However, in 1970 we met up again after Rick had completed his degree in Education and Psychology at Rhodes and returned to Pretoria to take up a teaching post at Pretoria Boy’s High. Our mutual love of tennis reconnected us and our close friendship resumed. In 1972 a group of old boys, all members of the Sunnyside Tennis Club, were able to convince Rick to join our ranks. Our club needed his ability and after a few years we became the Number one club in Pretoria. What happy carefree times we shared at the Club.
I would be failing my late friend if I omit to mention that Rick was a man of sterling quality, the most polite, well-mannered gentleman I had the honour and privilege to know. He was a spiritual man who had a zest for life and was passionate about people, especially his beloved family. He always found the good in people and seldom if ever said a harsh word about anyone.
Our friendship continued and in 1974 he paid my fiancé Pam and I the honour of agreeing to be the best man at our wedding in January 1975. An indication of what a private person Rick was, he quietly and unannounced reconnected with his erstwhile varsity sweetheart Danny, in Hilton, on a visit to his Mom who, at the time, was working at Hilton College. Danny and her baby daughter Julie (from a previous marriage) was staying with her parents in Hilton. How convenient, the two ladies in Rick’s life living in the same village made visiting most convenient. In April 1976 Pam and I attended the happy couple’s wedding, a small intimate service in Hilton College chapel and the reception in Danny’s parents’ exquisite garden.
The newlyweds moved to their first home in Kempton Park whilst Rick was lecturing at Johannesburg College of Education and our families became regular visitors as watched our children grow. Early in 2000 Julie married a dashing young lawyer and golfer and he was able to get Rick to try his hand at golf. Needless to say our sportsman friend took to golf like a fish to water and we enjoyed numerous golf days.
During his life Rick always espoused the values of loyalty, integrity, honesty and respect, a quiet private person. In accordance with his wishes a small private memorial service was held at his home in Hilton, on Saturday September 19, with only Danny, Sarah, Duncan and their priest in attendance. The other family members were able to join in the service via Zoom.
We will remember our friend as a GENTLE GIANT OF A MAN
Tribute from Donald Jones, formerly of School House, one of Ricky’s close tennis companions and lifelong friend.
Ricky was a fine man and an equally fine sportsman. On the sporting front his first love was tennis and he started when he went with his Mom to the Union Club in Pretoria. He played at Arcadia Primary School, played in Boy’s High’s first team for many years and captained the first team in 1963 which won the Transvaal Inter High School that year.
Subsequently he played for the SA Defence Force team, Rhodes first team (4 years) and captained SA Universities in 1968 and 1969. He played all over the world including at Wimbledon. In his time, he represented provinces such as Northern Transvaal, Southern Transvaal, Eastern Province and KZN.
He was a regular at the South African veterans tournaments from the mid 1980’s onwards and Pippa Marais a long time veteran from Northern Transvaal said that not only was he a great player but a great gentleman on and off the court.
Ricky initially was a day boy at Boy’s High, however in 1962 joined School House. From the outset he endeared himself to all boys of the house and masters alike with his quiet demeanour, his kindness, his spirituality and his willingness to contribute to his House and his School.
He was not only a fantastic tennis player but also an outstanding cricketer and rugby player and besides being tennis captain he was also captain of the 1st eleven, Head of School House and Deputy Head of School in 1963.
School House won the Senior Tennis trophy in 1962 for the first time in their history where Ricky played a pivotal role not only with his tennis skills but also with his unpretentious manner.
What is not commonly known is that often Ricky and I were invited on a Sunday afternoon to play men’s doubles against Desmond Abernethy and Will Hofmeyr on the Headmaster’s court at School House. Both teams were competitive and games were always very close and the tennis was of a high standard (Will Hofmeyr being a tennis Blue from Oxford!).
Ricky, because of his experience and guile, realized that our masters used subtle codes to flummox us. One was, “ready partner?” which meant the person at the net would automatically move across court once the serve was executed. Because of our youth I think we just prevailed and the games were always played in the best of spirits and within the rules.
Ricky Buwalda was a gentle giant, a gentleman and a gentle man and those of us who knew him were genuinely enriched by his presence his kindness and his moral decency. He made a great difference to Boys High, School House and Tennis South Africa. We were fortunate to be touched by Ricky and the wonderful example that he set for us all to live by.
Interview with John Duff, PBHS Head Prefect 1963. John is semi-retired in Hazyview where he and his wife run a guesthouse.
Your general relationship with Ricky? I knew him for his full five years at school, but because of our generally competing houses and dispositions, it was difficult to establish really close contact. At best it was superficial. But having said that, I had enormous respect for Ricky and we got on extremely well.
His most outstanding feature? Undoubtedly, one of the most committed, honest Christians that I had ever met. He was an extraordinary devotee from the day that I met him to the day that I last saw him. He was one in a million. Ricky wasn’t scared to talk about it, he didn’t hide it, and I admired him for that. Nor did he express himself unduly on the subject because it looked good – he was a genuine believer.
Ricky’s general presence? Superb, no matter whether he was in the classroom, on the sports field or on the tennis court. A real gentleman. You always knew that he was there, but never unsightly, arrogant, loud or repulsive.
Your first recollections of him? Intriguing from the outset, albeit that we weren’t yet fully-fledged teenagers. He came across as being extremely competent and polite. He never showed that he could potentially lose it or act stupidly. Always a case of doing the right thing.
His sporting abilities in those early years? It was always evident that Ricky was an outstanding sportsman. He was exceptional as both a tennis player and cricketer, and an above-average rugby player. His ball skills were remarkable.
Were you able to easily appraise the development and enhancement of his sporting prowess as he grew older? No, not really. With him it seemed to come very naturally. He was always very competitive and up with the best. But as he grew older, it became increasingly apparent that he was headed for the top.
His leadership skills? Excellent from the beginning. He was highly respected by those around him and he always knew what he was doing. He was never an unpopular appointment.
What particularly stood out? Ricky was an impeccably honest person. There were no secret agendas about him. What he said was what he was and that made it easy to cooperate with him and move on.
His relationships with the Headmaster, his Deputies and Staff generally? I can’t tell you in detail about every relationship, but for the most part he got on very well with the School leadership and general staff. He was well-liked and I don’t recall anyone having spoken ill of him. Nor do I recall any untoward issues having ever arisen.
Your recollection of you and him being appointed Head Prefect and Deputy respectively?
It was announced by the Headmaster, Mr Desmond Abernethy, at the School Assembly and came as a surprise to me and probably Ricky as well. Significantly, an excellent relationship developed between us that year which was constructive and without animosity or jealousy.
In spite of the intense inter-house competitiveness! A good point. You might specifically have spoken about your House, or bragged about it, but we never got into deep intellectual discussions on how any of the Houses performed, or ought to have performed. Nor did it never become a problem between us.
Your post-matric relations?
Very good. For the first number of years we met only occasionally, and mainly at School functions. But we were always very pleased to see each other and enjoyed our chats and general reminiscing. My wife and I then moved to Hilton and we saw a lot more of Ricky which we enjoyed, but sadly we didn’t get to know Danny very well. However, she has been very much in our thoughts and prayers of late.
I am very saddened to hear about the passing of Ricky Buwalda. As a strange talking “Yank” new to PBHS in 1960 he was one of the first boys to welcome me to the school and remained a friend when my family and I returned to the USA in 1963. We used to enjoy our lunch up on the old terraces behind the equally old brick class rooms. One day he suggested we trade lunches and I was happy to do so. We traded sandwiches and I was introduced to the “delightful” taste of a Marmite (Vegemite?) sandwich – unknown to most of us from the colonies on the other side of the Atlantic! It was quite invigorating to say the least. We had a good laugh together. He was a good guy in my book, and I’m sure he will be sorely missed. Rus in vrede my vriend. Regards, Terry Estes (please excuse my Afrikaans, it has only been 60 years!)
Terry Estes
Hi,
Sadly, a follow up to the comms below – Ricky Buwalda passed away on Thursday morning, succumbing to motor neuron disease. For those interested, apart from being a sterling fellow and dedicated educationist, Ricky played in the 1973 Wimbledon Qualifying Tournament. With his partner John Yuill they did extremely well, coming through in the Mens’ Doubles.
Please pass this onto whoever.
Kind regards,
Peter Doyle