KES Old Boys saluted and thanked for wonderful contributions!
The exceptional generosity of the King Edward family has allowed the King Edward Educational Trust to purchase a home in close proximity to the School, for occupation by educators of both the High, and Prep Schools. Contributions from old boys and parents facilitated the transaction.
At a formal assembly in the Hall on Friday, 26 February, the School was able to acknowledge 6 old boys in particular, who have been significant donors to various projects over a number of years.
Their presence at assembly reinforced the spirit of involvement which is so unique to the King Edward family. Our Headmaster Mr Lovatt, and Michael Faber, Chairman of the King Edward Educational Trust, paid special tribute to these loyal old boys.
It is quite a ‘read’ to hear the path these Old Boys’ have taken since their education at King Edward VII School and each tribute bears an amazing journey of hard work, perseverance and success- true King Edward men, every single one of them.
Your RED Community salutes and thanks you for your contributions and support to our great School.
Below are the tributes given by Mr Lovatt and Mr Michael Faber in the School Assembly.
Tutty Faber
Tutty matriculated in 1957 after having attended both the Prep and High School.
At High School he played REDS rugby (Colours Grade 11) and played 1st XI Cricket. He also won the Open Shot Put. In addition Mr Faber also took a lead role in the School Play “HMS Pinafore”. He studied Civil Engineering at Wits and Stanford Universities.
Played Rugby for the then Transvaal in 1961 / 62.
In summing up Mr Faber’s playing career at School his Coach wrote the following in the School magazine – “Faber – no 8 – was the most prolific try scorer in the team. When he gathers a loose ball near the try line not even the brick and mortar can keep him out”.
Mr Faber has been a true servant of our School. He has served on the Governing Bodies at both the Prep and High School – in addition to serving as Chairman of the SGB at both Schools.
He has also served as Chairman of the King Edward Educational Trust.
Despite his children having left the School some 30 years ago he continues to serve his School with as much passion and enthusiasm. Mr Faber has coached U14 rugby at the School since 1982. This after he had been asked if he could help out a little in that year. Some 35 years later he is still helping out! In recognition of his service the south Rugby field was renamed the Tutty Faber field in 2007. Mr Faber in addition to his service to the School has been a major benefactor giving most generously whether it’s to build new classrooms, libraries, Staff housing or the support of generations of Prep boys’ on the The Faber Scholarship. Mr Faber’s energy and passion for this School is the benchmark for all of us to follow.
Once again Mr Faber. Thank you!
Geoff Baars
There is not much that Geoff didn’t achieve at school. He was head-boy in 1982. A Craven Week rugby player, he played centre in the great team of 1982 which was unbeaten until their last game of the season which they unfortunately lost to Queens College on tour. Geoff was victor laudarum in athletics and a 1st XI cricketer. He held academic colours and cultural colours for debating and became only the 5th boy to be awarded Summa Cum lauda – colours in all 3 facets of school life. Geoff was a genius at school. In the days when distinctions were extremely hard to get (in fact of these other illustrious old boys here today – Bruce is the only other person to have obtained a distinction), Geoff attained 6 distinctions. When one considers that the whole class of 1982 only achieved 32 distinctions between them all, it is a remarkable feat! He was awarded the Desmond Davis war memorial scholarship. After a year in the USA as a rotary exchange student, he went on to study actuarial science at Wits before emigrating to Switzerland in 1989. He later moved to Singapore where together with 2 partners started a financial services consultancy group which today has operations in over 10 countries and 18 cities in the world. In 2000, Geoff settled in Perth Australia where he lives with his wife and four children. Geoff is a great supporter of the school and has been most generous with large annual donations for the past 10 years.
Bruce Poole
Bruce Poole’s direct association with the school goes back 45 years to 1971 when he enrolled at KEPS as a grade 1. He is a 3rd generation King Edwards boy with his father and grandfather also having attended the school. Unfortunately, his move to the Cape 6 years ago meant his son would not become the 4th generation Poole to pass through this hall. Bruce also matriculated in 1982. Bruce is a sportsman in the true sense of the word. He has always enjoyed his sport and is very competitive without trying to win at all costs. I have played many games of golf against him over the years and in one particularly tight singles match he gave me a free drop when in terms of the rules he didn’t have to. That’s what being a sportsman is about. He was a middle distance athletics coloursman at school and played rugby and cricket for the 2nd team. He obtained academic colours and was the top Latin student in the country. He also played a leading part in the school play. After school whilst studying law at Stellenbosch he changed to hockey and went on to play first team at Stellenbosch. He is still a great runner and cyclist and has Springbok colours for masters’ triathlon. Bruce is in partnership with one of his oldest friends from King Edwards and together they own and run a large chain of filling stations, convenience stores and fast food outlets on the major highways in SA. I give him a lot of credit for the fund raising that we do at the school. In the days when old boys thought that a R5,000 donation was generous, Bruce was one of the first people to make a donation of R100,000 – and that was 9 years ago!
Quinton Dicks
Quinton Dicks is also from the illustrious class of 1982. Quinton came to the school in grade 10 from Glenwood in Natal. A Buxton boarder, he played 1st team water polo and had academic colours. After school he studied law at University of Natal. Following his two years’ national service, he became a state prosecutor for the next 4 years. He spent a few years overseas before returning to South Africa to complete his law articles. A stint at Brait was interrupted when he did his MBA at UCT Graduate School of business. Quinton returned to the Private Equity and currently works for Old Mutual Private Equity sector and is a director of Primedia and Consol Glass amongst others. Quinton is a very modest man who stays well below the radar and is and always has been a huge supporter of the school. I hear from his head-boy that he’s always there behind the scenes and is someone that you can always count on. Not one for big talk – if he says he’s going to do something – he does it. A true gentleman.
Now a very interesting fact about these gentlemen from 82. Whilst reading through the school magazine I discovered the most remarkable statistic. At the inter-house athletics championship in the open 800m race the results were as follows: 1st Geoff Baars 2nd Bruce Poole and 3rd Quinton Dicks. Quite unbelievable. Now I’m not a betting man, but I was to bet on the result if they were to race today, despite Geoff’s dogged determination, I’d put my money on Bruce. And Quinton, I think you’d still come 3rd!
James Teeger
James Teeger is the son of an old boy and matriculated in 1985. James had an outstanding sporting career at school. As a hockey player he made the South African Schools B team and in cricket he was selected as wicket keeper for South African Schools. It wasn’t only on the sports field that James shone – he obtained academic colours and was a member of the Stock Exchange Club where he possibly learnt what he wanted to do after school. After matriculating he went to England to do A levels at Eton – probably Britain’s most famous school. He then returned to Wits where he studied to become a Chartered Accountant. He went on to represent what was then Transvaal at cricket. After only one season of provincial cricket, James hung up his pads and gloves to concentrate on his career. James quicky gained a reputation for his incredible work ethic and the long hours that he put in at work often spending the night at his office. After rising up through the ranks at RMB where he was tipped to be the next head of that bank, he was appointed CEO of Ernst Openheimer and Sons which entails managing One of South Africa’s wealthiest family’s assets. He has been very shrewd in this and has made the family even more wealthy. James is an incredibly hard worker and despite having 7 children and commuting between Johannesburg and London, he still finds time to serve as a Trustee on the King Edwards Educational Trust where his wisdom, leadership and generosity are greatly appreciated.
Mark Stevens
Mark was like the vast majority of us sitting in this hall today – just an average schoolboy. The fact that he has gone on to reach the success that he has should be an inspiration to you all and a lesson in hard work, passion and following your dreams. Mark like James matriculated in 1985. He was one of those good solid King Edwards boys who without being a standout star at anything in particular participated fully in the school – played rugby in the lower teams, swam and was involved in the dramatics society. Mark’s wife Lindsey is also from a good King Edwards family. Her older brother Mitchell Clark is one of the very few cricketers to have captained the 1st XI in both his grade 11 and grade 12 year and of course her younger brother Greg Clarke is one of South Africa’s most capped and respected hockey players. Mark’s son Tom who is currently head of his house at St Andrews College Grahamstown is also here today and we welcome him.
Shortly after leaving school Mark took an interest in property. He walked the streets of the Jhb CBD documenting who owned what and what the rentals were. With this knowledge, and after working at both Old Mutual and Imperial, Mark was able to set up Fortress Property Group which is a listed company on the JSE and of which he is the CEO. Last year he was honoured by Fortress being named as the top 100 company over the last 5 years in South Africa! I am told by people that work with him that he is down to earth with his staff and doesn’t expect them to do anything that he wouldn’t do himself. I know many old boys who have gone on to great success and yet hold a grudge against the school because they were never recognized at school. Mark is not like this at all – he is one of the school’s biggest supporters. The son of a teacher, Mark understands the value of education. He is extremely generous and supports two boys at this school paying both their boarding and school fees.
We thank you Mark.
