Page 202 - KBHA BULLETIN 24
P. 202

199


               All four of the Hare brothers lived long and productive lives. In 1988 Desmond was the first to

               pass on at the age of 78. A year later Neil died at 82. For 21 years he had acted as Honorary
               Colonel  of  The  Dukes.  Vincent  died  at  86  and  in  1996,  Teddy  died  at  92  in  2010  at  his

               apartment in Rondebosch. (Fig. 4.66).

               Their mother, May Hare, had lived longer than all of her sons. When she died in 1979 at the

               age of 94, she left an impressive number of descendants; four children, 16 grandchildren and

               32 great-grandchildren. Many of those in the later generations have displayed the family’s
               talent for enterprise, while others have qualified as successful professionals.


               Despite  enormous  hurdles,  one  of  May’s  grandchildren,  the  wheelchair-confined  Dawn,
               devoted her life to enriching the lives of others living with disabilities. When she died in 2017

               she  left  an  indelible  legacy.  Undaunted  by  challenges,  she  had  established  housing  and  a

               thriving protective workshop in Ocean View for the physically and mentally disabled. She was
               widely mourned for 43 years of service to the community. (Fig. 4.67).


               Do any of the members of the family still live in or near Kalk Bay? It’s clear that the village
               has  retained  its  attraction,  as  the  families  of  all  four  brothers  are  still  represented  locally:

               Teddy’s son John, Emeritus Professor of Shipping Law at UCT, has retired to his home in
               Duignam Road, while Vincent’s daughter, Diana Buchanan, lives in Pentrich Road, St James.

               Desmond’s  daughter,  Colleen  Ricketts,  lives  in  the  Evergreen  Retirement  Village  in

               Muizenberg, and Neil’s son William lives in the Fish Hoek Valley.


               Both of the Hare brothers’ self-built craft, Elegance and Speranza (now equipped with an
               extended deck canopy), continue to ply the seas of the Southern Cape. They survive and thrive

               as examples of the consistent quality built by five generations of this dynamic family. (Figs.

               4.68 & 4.69).
   197   198   199   200   201   202   203   204   205   206   207