(1943 – 2015)
The PBHSOB Association regrets to communicate the passing of Mr Rob Rademeyer (1943 – 2015). Mr Rademeyer matriculated from Pretoria Boys High School in 1960 and taught English at the school for 37 years (1966 – 2003). Our deepest sympathy and condolences to his family and friends.
Remembering Mr Rob Rademeyer, Matric 1960, Master 1966 – 2003.
Mr Rob Rademeyer passed away unexpectedly last week. He taught at PBHS for 37 years and in his own way left an indelible mark on many. His was not to shout and scream, or to muscle, his way was gentle and civilised. It is for this that he will always be remembered.
Ruthless Rob Rademeyer. That was how I got to know him first. My father, Mark (Matric 1971), had named a couple of masters that I should be on the lookout for, and Ruthless Rob Rademeyer was one of the important ones. It took a couple of years, as these things sometimes do, Mr Rademeyer was not someone that you were going to encounter on a sports field, or even accidentally. Or perhaps you would, but not for reasons that would make sense to one of us. He was different in that way and so instead of looking to coach he would tend the library on Tuesday afternoons.
This became significant because it was here that I first encountered the legend that was Mr Rademeyer. He hardly spoke, muttering only when absolutely necessary, and seemed never to intervene. I remember in about Form III he was to look after our class for a period. Once we had all settled in he called us to order, which failed, those that knew him simply ignored his calls to silence. This would send most teachers over the edge. Not Mr Rademeyer. No instead his chosen weapon to silence the class was a short story. He promptly planted himself on his desk and began reading, stopping at nothing, and seemingly reading to himself but for the fact that he was reading aloud. It was a mesmerising tale of the last two smokers in England climbing out of a window to enjoy a last fag together before withering and dying. For forty-five minutes he had our unbroken attention. It was something of a lesson in different approaches.
In the Library on one Tuesday afternoon he was reading a Time magazine at the counter. He began to chuckle to himself and so I wandered over and asked what was so amusing? He pointed out an advert, ‘that is all wrong.’ He then took up a piece of paper and began to sketch out the proper structure and grammar and how it should be written. Confused, I said, ‘Sir, but those are hieroglyphics?’ ‘Yes,’ he said, not missing a beat, ‘and they’re all wrong.’
The following week he arrived with three volumes under his arm and spent a whole afternoon giving me a lesson in Egyptology. I was never going to be fluent, or even anything approaching it, but yet he took the time and enjoyed the interest in an arcane subject. Mr Rademeyer truly was marvellous in that way.
And as for the ‘ruthless’ bit. It turned out, confirmed after my first encounter, that it was simply ironic The only thing that was ruthless about Mr Rademeyer was his sense of humour. The rest of him was entirely gentleman.
Eugene Ashton, Solomon 1996