Death of popular cricket, music fundi
Fun-loving cricketing personality will be remembered for his hugely popular music trivia evenings
Long-standing Port Elizabeth cricket umpire Michael Alvarez was a gentle giant who will probably be best remembered for his outstanding music trivia evenings which entertained thousands of people.
Alvarez, 58, died on Tuesday after battling pancreatic cancer which was diagnosed only last month.
Alvarez was an umpire at the Hunters Indoor Cricket Arena for more than 20 years in addition to his outdoor cricketing duties.
Describing him as a fun-loving family man and granddad, Alvarez’s wife of 21 years, Sharon, 58, of Linton Grange, said her husband’s death had left her feeling empty.
“Everyone called him a gentle giant because Mike was a huge man with an enormous heart and he just loved to make people happy.
“That is what he enjoyed doing – making people laugh.
“He was always willing to help people in need and loved to raise funds through music trivia [evenings],” she said.
“He was a devoted family man and there wasn’t a day that went by that he didn’t tell me how much he loved me and our son.
“He looked after my nineyear-old grandson as well – he just loved being with his family,” Sharon said.
“We have shared so many incredible memories together, but I will never forget the day I told him I was pregnant.
“The look on his face was priceless – because he had wanted a child for 37 years. “I feel disorientated.
“I know he is no longer in pain, but his passing has left me feeling empty. Once I am strong enough I want to continue with the music trivia in his honour,” she said.
Alvarez owned the Triple M Mobile Disco and organised popular music trivia evenings attended by thousands in the Bay and beyond.
As a DJ, he often used his events to raise funds for charitable organisations and projects.
The couple’s son, Cameron, 20, a third-year student at Nelson Mandela University, has promised to graduate in his father’s honour, as one of his dad’s dreams was to become a teacher.
Close friend Gordon Upton, 56, of Walmer, said Alvarez was a beacon for thousands of people in the Bay.
“Mike was a joy to be around, to have as a friend.
“I feel honoured to have known and learned from him.
“He was a God-fearing man – he was a good person.
“He will be missed dearly by many people in the city, as he was someone who enriched the lives of all he met.”
Upton, who met Alvarez 14 years ago, said their friendship started that day.
“He was a devoted family man and I can’t ever remember seeing him upset, except when the Boks lost,” he joked.
Alvarez began his cricketing journey as a player before moving to umpiring in a move inspired by his drive to give back to the sport that had given him “so much as a player”.
Having played the game as a schoolboy, batsman Alvarez played for SA Home Loans Union Cricket Club, where he spent the better part of three decades.
He eventually retired as a player at 50.
He was made a life member of the club.
Alvarez started umpiring in 1994 at the Hunters Indoor Cricket Arena. He owned the arena in 1994 and 1995.
Alvarez, who officiated in more than 2,000 matches, said in a 2016 interview that those figures only came between 2011 and 2016, as only that period was officially recorded.
Cricket arena manager George Jefferys, who had known Alvarez since the early 1990s, said his loss was a major blow as he was loved by all he came into contact with.
“We are going to miss him around here, especially me – he was a big help to me, my unofficial right-hand man.
“He was always there when I needed to talk, and just to keep my sanity in check from time to time,” Jefferys said.
Eastern Province Cricket Umpires’ Association president Mark Meyer praised Alvarez’s passion and dedication to the sport.
“He was one of the guys who was always at the field first, doing inspections, getting the players ready, going out of his way for games,” he said.
Meyer, who has been with the association for the past five years, said Alvarez was a mentor from whom he had learnt a lot about the game.
“He was always willing to help, with a smile on his face, giving advice where possible.
“He was very diligent and professional in the way he conducted himself and he will be a big loss to the entire fraternity.”
Former association president Bernard Harrison echoed Meyer’s and Jefferys’s comments, saying: “A gentle giant and a man who was loved by all has gone to rest.”
‘Mike was a huge man with an enormous heart and he just loved to make people happy’ Sharon Alvarez
WIDOW