Dennis Nick

 

Dennis Nick  “He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again.”  Hamlet (Act 1 Scene 2) Generations of Rondebosch men have much to thank him for. He served as Chairman of the Old Boys’ Union from 1992 to 1997, steering the school through its Centenary celebrations and spearheading the fundraising for the E1942 Centenary Pavilion and Computer Centre. As a trustee of the Rondebosch Boys’ Schools’ Education Trust and Vice President of the Old Boys’ Union, he offered wise counsel and quiet, generous support. He helped make possible the Prep School’s Bosch Centre, the swimming pool renovation and the Library upgrade, and the water polo and rugby chalets at the High School. The rugby chalet – recently renovated through his generosity – has been named “The Nick” in his honour. He cut the ribbon on 6 May, the last time he visited his beloved school. Sport was among Dennis’s greatest loves. He was a stalwart of Rondebosch rugby and  continued playing the sport himself until well into his seventies. He was a devoted patron of Rondebosch rowing, attending countless regattas and helping purchase boats to grow the fleet. In 2024 members of the Rowing Club of the school honoured him with a signed blade from the first eight of that year. On it they referred to Dennis’ habit of calling everyone his ‘chom’; a term that will be forever connected with him in the minds of many Rondebosch families. Dennis was also an enthusiastic supporter and benefactor of the Prep and High School Music Departments. His civic spirit extended to St Augustine’s, Hanover Park Cricket Club, Villager and False Bay Rugby Clubs, the Gun Run, and the Signal Hill Rotary Club. Dennis was a master of encouraging without imposing. He taught those around him to draw appreciation from the small miracles of life from a pet shop window full of puppies in Manhattan to an extraordinary tomato at a Kensington farm market. He was a great mentor to staff and students alike, always with quiet confidence that every person had something worthwhile to offer. Every email Dennis sent ended with the words: “Spread Joy.” While he achieved great success in business, it was this philosophy that marked him as a truly special human being. His life embodied humanity, humility, and service — the very spirit of the school song’s call to “spreading a boundless charity.” He understood, better than most, that giving and sharing bring far greater satisfaction than having and owning. Our ‘Chom’, Dennis Nick leaves behind a school, a community, and a generation of men who are better for having known him — and a simple, enduring instruction for all of us: “Spread Joy”