To the Directors and members of the whole P.B.H.S.O.B family; this is to advice that Roger's ashes where interned next to his parents after the 7.30am service, at St Wilfrid's on Sunday 21 September 2008, as per his wishes.
To the many old boys who attended this special service,our sincere thanks.
To the members of the greater school family,who contacted me,for the support and S M S's,our sincere thanks. Messages where received from every corner of South Africa and also from many corners of the world. At one stage, over a 10 day period, I was receiving up to 30 calls per hour.
This closers a chapter in our history and I also feel, a chapter in the schools history.
To you all our sincere thanks for your support and love of Roger, over these many years. God bless, and may Roger rest in peace.
Kindest regards Bruce Herbert
Roger Herbert passed on in Pretoria, on Friday evening 1 August 2008 at the age of 66, a day before his 67th birthday. He died from complications that arose from major heart surgery.
What would have irked Roger most about this small inconvenience was that he missed a trip to Bloemfontein, the matter of a small Old Boys Dinner on Friday night and watching his, our, beloved Boys High the next day play rugby, games that he thankfully missed
as Boys’ High was sorely beaten.
Roger was an Old Boys’ legend. He was particularly biased and one could almost say rather one-eyed’ in his love and passion for Boys’ High. He served the School and more particularly the Old Boys’ Association with dedication and unquestionable loyalty for ‘a hundred years’.
The statistics speak for themselves. He attended 48 consecutive Annual Old Boys’Dinners, he served as Honourable Secretary for 33 years, and served as a Director and Vice President of the Old Boys’ Association for 38 years. He attended all the major sporting events and was an institution at the annual Boys’ High Affies derby.
Roger was a magnificent person. He was always quiet, polite and unassuming. His intent was never to be a burden to anyone, rather a selfless man who went through his life helping others, and expecting nothing in return. In return he did however receive an incredibly warm and rich life.
He was chivalrous and an absolute true gentleman who never spoke ill of anyone. He was humble, unmaterialistic and deeply religious. He epitomized what all Boys High boys should strive to be and we thank him for sharing his life with us.
Roger would have been received at the gates of heaven on that Friday night by a Choirs of Angels in all probability singing ‘All we see is red and green,’ definitely singing ‘tis here we learn to live’, undoubtedly booming out ‘Bread of Heaven’ and of course concluding their welcoming concert for Roger with the boisterous singing of ‘Forty-Years-On’.
The fear of death is universal, but what lies beneath that fear is the terror of insignificance, of not being remembered or not counting. Roger, we the extended Boys High family and all that knew you will miss, and remember you. You are ours, and shall ever be.
This tribute will help us get things in perspective by distilling our thoughts and bring Roger into the mind’s eye – to let us remember his voice and manner, to let us appreciate his qualities, to let us enjoy his company a moment longer. We cope with loss not by forgetting Roger but by finding out how we can best live with our memories of him.
Roger is survived by his brother Bruce and family whom we know he loved dearly. Our sincerest condolences go out to them and all Roger’s friends.
The Old Boys.
