In Memoriam: Theresa Noble
Theresa Noble, as Biology teacher, Head of Department, and member of the School’s Executive, served Pretoria Boys High School for twenty years between 1972 and 1992.
Theresa is described by her friends, of whom she had many, as a true, faithful and above all, loyal friend. Her loyalty was of that absolute sort which would stick with friends through thick and thin, irrespective of their or her circumstances. In her relationship with people, her somewhat mischievous sense of humour kept everybody’s feet on the ground and well-entertained. Not that everything in her life was easy or simple but it was exactly this sense of humour and boundless optimism that carries her through darker times.
To the hundreds of boys she taught over twenty years, she was a saint. They loved here and her subject and she knew how to get the best out of them whether it be in the classroom, on the stage or in a position of leadership. It was Theresa Noble who drove the development of the cultural activities at the school during the 1980s. This culminated in her being the producer of many an annual productions and being the director of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (Tom Stoppard) in 1989 – one of the best dramatic production put on stage by the school. She was an especially keen supporter of everything musical at the school. This stands to reason as she was a good choral singer and an organist in the Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn for many years. She always had a kind word for a schoolboy musician.
To her colleagues at school she was a pillar of strength, always ready with an answer in order to lend a hand or solve a problem. Her presence in the School’s Executive was rewarding and her suggestions practical, always giving a subtle feminine touch and providing much needed balance in a male-dominated environment.
Theresa left PBHS to join her long-time friend Jenny Nieser’s NGO, Project Literacy, which took her passion for teaching to the adult-level. She found this work rewarding as she strongly believed in the upliftment of all South African learners, young and old.
Theresa certainly lived up to her surname: always cheerful, full of energy and eternally optimistic – a noble soul indeed, who deserves to rest in peace.
Niel van der Watt
PBHS – July 2021