In memoriam: Keith Howard
KEITH Howard died peacefully at home on March 9, aged 81.
A true Eastern Caper, he grew up on the farms Lockerbie and Yarrow, speaking Xhosa almost before English, and developing an abiding interest in nature and birds.
At Kingswood College, he played rugby and excelled as a fast bowler, two sports he kept a keen interest in all his life, along with golf.
He graduated from Stellenbosch at 20 and in 1957 went to Rhodesia, teaching at Umtali Boys High, and Oriole.
In 1963 he returned to the Grahamstown area with his wife Ruth and two children, buying the farm Glen Lea and successfully farming oats, sheep and a dairy herd. At the same time he studied for further qualifications and went back to teaching, which he loved, at Graeme College and later PJ Olivier.
In 1975 aged 39, Howard became headmaster of Port Alfred’s erstwhile Queen Alexandra Secondary School, then a small establishment of 189 pupils running from Sub A to Standard 7. Over the next 15 years, with dogged determination and skill, he developed and expanded the school and set it on the successful journey it travels now. By 1981 he had his first matric class and the name changed to Port Alfred High School.
In 1983 he led the school’s week-long centenary celebrations with the minister of education as VIP, and in 1990, his retirement year, he proudly led his students into the R5-million new school buildings for which he had fought so long and hard.
Howard’s 27 years of retirement were busy ones. He and his second wife Heather travelled extensively in the East. Howard developed a vast collection of clocks, kept aviaries, and created a beautiful garden, being a true man of the soil. He served as treasurer for Friends of the Hospital for 20 years, and also re-joined Rotary in 2004 after a gap, having been a founder member in 1985, and was club secretary for six years.
Howard was a man of intelligence, definite views and high standards, tempered by a dry sense of humour and an ability to build strong friendships. He earned the love and respect of many, including his school staff and pupils, and also his large and loving family who will greatly miss his benevolent reign.
Guests at Howard’s well-attended memorial upstairs at the Port Alfred Ski-boat Club last Saturday included a large crosssection of locals, and many family members. Guests were greeted by a guard of honour of uniformed PAHS school children who later sang a Xhosa song, a very moving part of the celebration.
A tribute from his nephew gave an outline of Howard’s long and interesting life but also fondly described him as a person.
PAHS headmaster Clive Pearson paid tribute to an outstanding educator, and his immense contribution to the school he served for 15 years.
Laura Mileham, one of Howard’s head girls some years ago, ended with a warm and amusing portrait of his role as headmaster. PUPILS at Qhayiya Primary School in Bathurst were treated to a morning of talks from the departments of health and social development, along with the school governing body, SAPS, community policing forum and Stenden South Africa’s student representative council (SRC) last Friday.
Billed as a TB and HIV/Aids awareness day, the pupils received much more in the way of information on how to prevent teenage pregnancy along with the establishment of Tada (teenagers against drug abuse) at the school.
Female pupils also benefited from receiving packs of sanitary pads, and 154 packs were distributed by Thembalethu Tele’s Confident Girls project.
Stenden’s SRC also gave away three toiletry sets containing face cloths, soaps and other items for personal hygiene.
In order to win a set, pupils were required to answer questions and those who answered first and correctly won the prize. A number of school shirts were also given away by community development worker, Xolelwa Njadayi.
“This is an important event for Qhayiya pupils,” said Tele, whose Confident Girls Project has reached out to schools around the area to prevent absenteeism from schools and also promote a healthier lifestyle.
Councillors were also present to offer their support for the initiative, and spoke of how important it was for children to attend school and receive an education in order to get jobs in today’s ever more competitive environment.